Operation: Poison Tree Frog
by Digital Skitty
Summary: Hisako expects the move to be a big change; it's all new places, new people, new friends, a new home for her and her father. What she didn't expect, however, was her classmates growing horns. Or having to rescue them from a vengeful goddess who is trying to break out of her prison. Or suddenly awakening to her own inner power and having to become some sort of secret hero...
1. Marin Karin

Friday, April 4th, 2014

...

The view was lovely. The girl sighed and leaned her head against the window, watching as the world rushed by. It was so green, with so much open space, and the sky was so vivid. It was a beautiful shade of blue. She closed her eyes with a smile.

When she reopened them, the view outside the windows wasn't much more than a hazy bluish-gray. She sat up, puzzled, and looked over at her father—except he wasn't there. Where there should have been seats, there was only space. She found herself in a vast room, draped in rich shades of blue, and she was on the only seat. The blonde girl gave a start; she was not alone, however.

"Hello," a young woman said politely, coming up behind her and placing a hand on the back of her seat.

"Welcome," added a young man, looking strikingly similar to the woman. They could have been twins—well, they probably were. They were also severely out of place, pale-skinned and light-haired, contrasting sharply with the dark blues all around them.

"Hello," she replied dumbly. The pair walked past her, movements fluid and a little unnerving. "Um, I'm sorry... I seem to be lost."

"Not at all! You are supposed to be here." She jumped again at a voice to her right. Head snapping around, she found a man in a suit—with an absurdly large nose. It was more than a little distracting. She tried her hardest not to stare, and he didn't seem to mind, but it was quite attention-grabbing, in her defense. "Welcome to the Velvet Room," the man said. His tone was warm and civil, though a little... off. She couldn't quite place how. His nose was still distracting her. "My name is Igor, and these are my assistants, Atticus and Octavia."

"I'm—Hisako. Hisako Fujihara."

"Do not be alarmed, you are but in a dream." She wasn't sure if she just looked that nervous or if he could read minds. But, if it truly were a dream, she supposed it didn't particularly matter. Igor continued, "You have been brought here... Perhaps by your restless soul, perhaps by the Fates themselves. But you have been brought here for a very important purpose."

"...Oh?" Unable to help her curiosity, she stood up as Atticus, the male of the pair, beckoned to her. Octavia, on Igor's other side, smiled vapidly.

Igor didn't look up as she approached; instead, he shuffled through a deck of large cards, and then set three out, face-down, on the table before him. With a wave of his hand, they flipped over by themselves. "Ah, yes. I know these cards well, and they tell the truth to those who listen. Will you be one to truly listen to the cards?" He didn't wait for an answer and instead flicked his wrist. The cards rose into the air, shown off for her. Each had an illustration. Descriptive, but not entirely helpful. She could barely recognize them as tarot cards, let alone what they were supposed to depict. "You have a troubled future, but you may still seek peace."

"What do you mean?" Hisako asked. She wasn't worried, but still curious. Weird dreams were fascinating, especially ones taking place in blue trains with such odd people, she decided. She just wished it wasn't all happening so fast.

"There will be choices made," Octavia said suddenly. She wasn't smiling anymore, and her pale eyes pierced into Hisako's. The girl fought the urge to shrink away.

"And someone must take responsibility for them," Atticus said, just as quick.

"Everyone will play a part in this, but it appears as if your role will be especially important," Igor patiently explained, drawing the cards back into the deck. "You will soon awaken to a new power, and with that... I wonder. How will you shape the future?"

"I'll... Um, you ask an awful lot of rhetorical questions," Hisako replied, puzzled by all of the cryptic words. Igor chuckled, seeming genuinely amused by the remark.

"Perhaps. But a young girl such as yourself... I'm very curious. I hope you'll make the best of this gift," he said. She relaxed a bit at his smile, even if it was a little creepy, but that didn't answer many questions, either.

"I'll try?" she guessed. Atticus made a sound that maybe, if she imagined hard enough, could have been a laugh. Perhaps.

"You'll awaken to your power, your _Persona_, soon enough. I, and my assistants, will be here for you in the future, but I'm afraid our time together now is at a close. Until we meet again..." Igor smiled at her again, and Hisako suddenly felt a hard yank around her middle. She yelped and staggered forward, against it, but the jarring movement came again, and next thing she knew, she was in a heap on the floor.

"Are you alright?" her father asked in surprise.

"Yes." Reddening, Hisako sat back down, smoothing her skirt around her knees. The train gave another jerk, nearly upending her again. The blues were all gone, as was the weird dream.

"I think we're almost there. Oh, I hope they're not having problems..." Koichi Fujihara murmured. "Ah, I'm sure they'll be fine! I wanted to let you sleep a little while longer, but since we're so close, don't go back to sleep, alright?"

"Yes," Hisako repeated. The view outside the window had changed. There were houses now, power lines, streets, cars, and the sky wasn't so bright anymore. Wait—the sun was lower. Had that much time _really_ passed? It seemed like it had barely been fifteen minutes in that strange blue dream train.

No, not really a train. Just the Velvet Room...

"Papa, are you nervous about moving?" she asked, distracting herself. She had better things to think about than bizarre dreams, no matter how real it had felt.

"Me? Oh, no, of course not! The movers will be here tomorrow with the rest of our stuff, but tonight, how about we be lazy? We can sleep wherever we want, order some delicious unhealthy food, and stay up late watching bad movies!" He grinned, proud of these decisions.

Hisako was less impressed. "You're supposed to be eating healthier, remember? The doctors told you to watch your diet!"

"Relax," he replied and nudged her with his elbow. "Ma-chan, it's okay to be irresponsible for a little while. Let your father take care of his diet and this move. You don't have to take this so seriously. You'll adjust. You're allowed one night off."

"I'm not worried about adjusting," she lied hastily, turning away from him to hide her face. Outside the window, it looked as if they had entered city limits. More buildings, more streets, more vehicles, more people. It _would_ certainly be a change.

"I've already talked to the school, and they're fine with everything. You get to start on Monday, just in time for the new term, too, so think of this as a long weekend!" Koichi pointed out excitedly.

"It'll be spent unpacking," she replied.

"Try not to think of this as too boring. It can be an adventure! I lived in the city during my youth, and I wouldn't trade it for the world."

"I'll be fine, papa. Just don't go so overboard trying to cheer me up that you end up in the hospital, overdosed on junk food."

"I make no promises."

They got off the train at their stop, and Hisako pretended like she wasn't marveling at the city sights. They grabbed their bags. They had packed what they could to take with them, the movers bringing the rest the day after. She had a duffel bag and a backpack, mostly full of clothes, and clung to them both nervously as they wound their way through the crowd. Her father assured her that it was only a short bus ride to their apartment complex, and that she could ride the same bus to school. She focused on not getting stepped on.

Hisako was ready for this move, and she hadn't been dreading it or anything. But it was their first major move in her memory. She had never switched schools before. For all her smiles and reassurances for her father, she was a little nervous. Just a little.

Their apartment complex was in a fairly residential neighborhood. There was a convenience store and a bus stop on the corner, she noted with a sharp eye. Potential job. It seemed nice, though, and quiet. She couldn't see much of the sky. They passed a woman with a small dog in her arms in the hall, and she couldn't help but ask hopefully, "They allow pets?"

"Some small ones, although you'll have to talk to the landlady. Let's settle in and get adjusted before we think about such things," her father replied as he fumbled with the keys to their place. It was nearer one end than the other, on the side near the street. Not bad. But it wasn't like the home they'd left behind.

-.-.-

Monday, April 7th, 2014

...

Monday morning dawned and Hisako felt ill. "It's just nerves," her father declared, and it probably was. It didn't make her feel any better. "Don't worry. I've talked to the school. You will be okay, and if you're not, then we will switch schools. Please, don't be nervous," he said, nearly begged, and pressed his lips against her temple.

"I'll be okay."

_At least my uniform is cute_, she reasoned, trying to cheer herself up. The weather was warm, even in the city, so she started out with her summer uniform. Her stomach clenched as she smelled the eggs her father had painstakingly made for her. He wasn't a great cook, but he had tried. She would try, too.

She forced a couple bites down and made a show of drinking her milk. "I'll be getting more groceries today, so if there's anything else you need, text me."

"Papa, you're condoning texting during class!"

"It could be during lunch! Don't you have break periods?"

Hisako sighed and smiled. She couldn't win against father logic. "If I think of something, I will be sure to text you. Be careful unpacking the rest of the things, okay?"

"There's not much. I'm sure I'll get done today," Koichi replied with a bright smile. "Now off to school with you! You wouldn't want to be late on your first day, would you?"

Hisako kissed him goodbye, grabbed her backpack, and darted out the door. Her stomach still felt queasy, but it lessened once she got outside and got some fresh air. She could do this. She forced a smile and waited at the bus stop, alone. The convenience store behind her had a 'Help Wanted' sign in the window. _Score! _

The bus was crowded, full of commuters. Men in business suits, women in sharp skirts, and a couple of students in various uniforms. She spotted two others with her school's uniform. Come to think of it, she wasn't sure how large her new school actually _was_. She got off at the correct stop—infinitely reassured when she saw the other two get off there as well—and marveled at the large building. There were a couple trees in the front, forming a bit of a buffer between the city and the school, but it was huge and had many students milling about.

Hisako skittered inside the gates, looking around herself with equal parts anticipation and nerves, and decided it would be best to use this time before the bell to find her classroom. And her locker. And everything.

She got inside the doors, just in time to catch the tail end of a very loud argument. Several other students were watching avidly as a furious girl shouted at a tall boy. "—and you're a _jerk_, an elitist _pig_!" Hisako edged around the argument, scanning the lockers for her name. No, it wasn't on that side, or that one... "I can't _believe_ you! And why aren't you saying anything back!" Not on that side, either. She had the sinking sensation... It was going to be over by the arguing couple, wasn't it.

"I can't say anything in my defense. I don't want to, and you can't force this sort of thing," the boy replied. Hisako kept her distance from them and continued looking over lockers. She still hadn't found hers, and that feeling was getting worse. Perhaps it would be safer to simply leave her shoes and things in some quiet corner and hope they didn't get stolen.

"I never want to see your face again!" With that, and most surprisingly at all, the girl threw a cup of red paint at him. She stormed off. It dripped down from his face and his shirt, and it had streaked several lockers behind him as well. He just stood there, shocked into silence.

Hisako stared, incredulous, at the sort of display that this school would allow. She couldn't imagine what he had done to deserve that, but surely this couldn't happen every day. ...Right?

She also had the distinct feeling that her locker was one of the scarlet ones.

"Where did she even _get_ the paint?" a snobby-sounding girl behind her asked.

"Probably from him!"

"No, she got it from the art room. I saw her in there earlier, ransacking the place!"

"God, she's such a stuck-up bitch."

"Oh, and you think Kikuchi's much better?"

Well, the images of the snotty rumor mills that television held about large schools were certainly true. Hisako checked her phone. She had about ten minutes before classes should start. That was more than enough time to find her classroom, which she ought to do. But her locker... Shoes in her hand, she stared at the boy, who had just begun to wipe the paint off of his face.

Her locker was going to be there. There was no avoiding it. And really... She felt sorry for him. He hadn't seemed like a jerk or an elitist pig or anything else from the numerous things she had called him. And she knew she wouldn't want to be standing there with paint drying while people laughed or looked on.

"Excuse me," she murmured, setting her stuff down a safe distance away from the paint. Oh, what now? She had his attention, but it wasn't as if she had magical paint-cleaning powers. Or any sort of cleaning powers, for that matter. "...Uh, I couldn't help but notice that little... display."

"Right," he said, looking down at his red-covered hands. He had managed to smear most of it off his face. "Damn. This is certainly a mess."

"Um, if you could point me in the direction of the janitor or something, I'll go get some rags and stuff. Or, at least, someone needs to be notified of... this," Hisako said with a vague gesture.

He accompanied her to what was some sort of faculty room, telling a strict-looking woman about what had happened. He left out most of the argument. Hisako trailed behind him, trying to memorize the layout, indelibly linked to the situation and unable to get away without making matters worse. She was told to escort him to the bathroom to make sure he didn't make more of a mess, and she had to wonder if this sort of thing _did_ happen regularly. No one seemed all that surprised about the girl throwing paint on the boy.

"Sorry about that," the boy said, clearly chagrined.

"It's okay. I mean, no one else was volunteering to help you out, and I'd hate it if that stained or anything," she replied nervously. She doubted it would be polite to tell him that she only wanted to find her locker. Oh damn—she had just left her shoes and stuff on the floor there!

"...You can go, if you'd like. It's not like you can follow me in," he said, and she realized that they were standing in front of the boy's bathroom. Hisako flushed and nodded.

"Um, yes! Right. I'm going to go retrieve my things then, see if I can't help out, uh, there!" She ran for it before it got even more awkward. She hadn't known the boy, and she hadn't wanted to get involved. Only help. Thankfully, she found the entrance without much trouble, and even more fortunately, her things were still there. The floor had already been mopped, still wet and faintly pink, and there was a man scrubbing at the topmost locker that had gotten splattered.

She scanned over this side of the lockers as well, but still didn't see her name. Surely they had given her one! She didn't know anyone else to share one with for the day. Hisako squinted over the man's shoulder, looking at the paint lockers, but her name wasn't there, either.

She _finally_ found it across from where the mess was. Safe and sound, but on the top shelf. Looking down the row, it looked like the top was mostly given to boys, but she could shove her stuff in if she stood on the tips of her toes. Did all big schools have problems like this? Hisako locked the door and reopened it once to make sure she had the right code memorized. It opened perfectly.

And then the bell rang.

Hisako froze in place, unable to comprehend where the time had gone. She'd had time to explore! To help! To find her classroom! And there, gone, like a butterfly out the window.

"Looks like you'll be late, too." She squeaked and turned to find the boy from earlier, hair damp and looking decidedly less red overall. The paint hadn't come out of his jacket, she noted. "You're the transfer student, aren't you?"

"Huh?" How did he know? Did she look out of place? Wear her hair wrong or something? Wasn't this fashionable in the city?

"We were told last week we'd been getting one in our grade, and I don't know you. Don't know too many girls willing to associate with me these days, either," he told her with a shake of his head.

"Oh." That wasn't as interesting as something like mind-reading powers, but at least it meant she didn't look weird. Hisako smiled uncertainly. "My name is Hisako Fujihara. I'm in class 2-B."

"Oh." There was something about the way he said that innocuous little word. She narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, so am I. Thought so. We can be late together. I'm Yuri Kikuchi, by the way."

"Pleasure to meet you," she said with a small bow of her head.

"They gave you a top locker?" Yuri asked suddenly, clearly confused by this. "Normally that just goes to the guys. Wanna swap?"

"What?" She hardly knew him, though it'd be nice not having to reach so often. Wait, was that even allowed? The last thing she wanted was to step on toes or break the rules on her first day of classes here. ...Then again, she was already late.

But as she opened up her mouth to reply, he nudged a lower locker with his foot. "This is mine down here. If you ever get tired of stretching, we can switch." With that, he turned and started away. It sounded so simple. "...You coming?" She tore her gaze away from the lower locker. It was tempting.

"Y-Yes! Sorry, um, Kikuchi-san. I'm obviously new, and you've had a rough day already..."

"May as well share the misery. But please, don't call me anything formal—sets my teeth on edge. Yuri's fine. Really."

"Yuri-kun," she amended awkwardly. He half-turned and gave her a pleasant smile. He seemed like a nice enough guy, definitely not those admittedly creative terms the girl had called him. It was better not being alone on her first day, at any rate. "Um, is this a nice school?" she asked to fill the silence.

"Oh yeah. Weird stuff happens from time to time, like this morning. But it's nice enough," Yuri replied and shifted his bag to his other hand. "Since we're in the same class and you're new and all, if you want a tour of the school during lunch, feel free to ask."

"That'd be great," Hisako said, immensely relieved. A guided tour would be far better than randomly wandering on her own. He led her to a door, and only afterward did she see the nameplate. It seemed so tucked away, not at all like her previous school.

The classroom wasn't as large as she'd been fearing. Hisako smiled widely, trying to hide her nervousness, and Yuri filed in behind her. He mumbled some excuse to the teacher, but his red uniform seemed enough reason. "Oh! I see Kikuchi escorted you here, and better late than never. Class, I'm pleased to say that we have a new student with us now." The teacher was a plump woman, almost motherly, and it seemed as if she wasn't in any sort of trouble. This wouldn't be hard at all! "If you would please introduce yourself to the class...?"

"My name is Hisako Fujihara," she said, giving the other students a quick, embarrassed bow. "It's a pleasure to be here."

Most of the students said something in response, but it was a mixture of "hello" and "welcome" and something else she couldn't identify. Clearly, they didn't get many transfer students, or they hadn't rehearsed. Or maybe they weren't very structured. She had looked into this school and it was supposed to be quite good, but what if—

"You can sit by Kikuchi there, behind Sakuraba." The teacher gestured to one of a couple empty seats, towards the middle of the class. Well, she wouldn't have a reason to be antisocial then. The girl in front of her smiled as she passed, and Hisako sat down next to Yuri.

And then she realized that the girl from that morning was on her other side.

_They were in the same class?_ she realized with horror, now well aware she had just planted herself in the middle of a war zone. The honey-haired girl on her left gave her a slightly apologetic nod, sensing what the new girl had gotten into, and resumed glaring at Yuri. _So much for never seeing him again_, Hisako thought morosely. She hadn't signed up for school drama.

Her teacher, Norita Yamashita, took some time to have a brief review period after attendance. It seemed as if she was the history teacher in addition to their homeroom one. She asked to see Hisako after their morning classes to help make sure she was ready for the new term, giving her materials she would need. She willingly agreed; the school seemed very nice and everyone was so welcoming.

Ignoring the teenaged girl boring holes into her skull on her left.

It felt like a lifetime before lunch arrived. It wasn't as if she was hungry; she simply wanted to get out of the glaring match. Ms. Yamashita gave her some outlines of the information they had covered so far, telling her not to worry about minor bickering in the class. Evidently, Yuri didn't have the best luck with the girls, and rather famously at that. "Do you think you'll like it here?"

"Oh yes. It's very... lively," Hisako said brightly. The woman smiled, clearly relieved. "Thank you for all of your help. I'll do my best to keep up in my classes."

"Looking at your transcripts, I have no doubt you will do fine. If you ever need any help, please, feel free to come to me," Ms. Yamashita said, tone kind. But Hisako knew what she was referring to. She nodded in understanding.

"Hey, can I borrow this now?" Hisako squealed as she was lifted up under the arms. Yuri dropped her quickly with a pleased smirk.

"Kikuchi, with your track record, I don't see how you can have the courage to treat your fellow students like this," their teacher scolded sternly. She waved her hand dismissively at the both of them. "Please, don't get any more paint anywhere."

"That wasn't my fault," he replied with a shrug.

"Oh, um, thank you again," Hisako called over her shoulder as she was herded out the door. "A-And thank you, Yuri-kun, for showing me around." Already she could feel the stares of various students as he led her through the school. It seemed he had quite the reputation, but she couldn't place _what_ exactly it was. Maybe some sort of womanizer? And even the teachers were aware of it...

"Here we have the library. I don't come here much outside of finals, but some kids love it, so whatever works for them."

"Yuri Kikuchi!"

"And here we have a harpy," he said with a wince. Hisako recognized the voice at once, too: the girl from that morning... Glaring at him during class wasn't bad enough? "I'll try to calm Mika down, you can go eat or explore or what you'd like. Sorry I couldn't show you as much as you probably wanted."

"No, I'll be fine." She edged away as the girl, Mika—it _was_ nice to have a name to put to the face, finally—stomped towards him. Maybe he really was a womanizer, even in high school. Hisako all but ran for it, careful to stick to the main hallways. She easily got back to her classroom, and could make it to the entryway from there. That wasn't so bad.

Hisako ended up spending lunch in the courtyard on one of the benches. There were a couple others milling around, most of them just chatting and enjoying the sunshine. It was a beautiful day out. As she ate, she mused on the move. She and her father would cope—they always had. A new school wasn't so bad, especially now that first impressions had been made. She wasn't sure she wanted to get in too deep with Yuri and Mika, particularly if it involved more paint. But surely not all of the students in the school were so crazy.

Her father was out of the hospital for now, but they had moved to the city specifically to be closer to a special hospital for him. She could apply to some local, smaller places for a part-time job in a week or two, when things were more settled. Maybe she could pick up babysitting again. Then, it was just a matter of balancing studying and earning money. That was what she was used to, and that she could do. She liked routine.

Wow, they had a long lunch period here. Or maybe she had eaten too quickly. No, she had talked to Ms. Yamashita and then Yuri for a little while... Hisako sighed and packed up her things. According to her phone, she had four minutes, but she didn't want to awkwardly sit in class, alone, until the bell actually rang. _Maybe I'll see if I can make it back to the library by memory_, she thought idly and made to stand up.

The world around her spun and she barely caught herself on her feet. The dizzy spell passed, slowly, but it passed nonetheless. It was just... strange. "Maybe I should have eaten a bigger breakfast..." She didn't feel ill again, though. Hisako pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. She wasn't feeling warm.

"Oh my. Are you alright?" She blinked and looked up at a finely dressed man standing before her. He looked deeply concerned. She took a moment to process his out-of-nowhere arrival.

"I-I'm fine," she replied hastily, but the man pressed his hand to her forehead, far too close for her comfort. Hisako stepped away, fighting a reddening face. "I'm _fine_," she repeated.

The man smiled sadly. He looked like one of the suave classy types, but he wasn't dressed like the typical teacher or school staff. He opened his mouth, but then closed it again with a shake of his head. She was pretty sure she heard him sigh.

"If you'll excuse me..." Being harassed by randomly appearing men was _not_ something she was used to. Was this something that happened regularly in the city? What if he was some sort of pervert—why was he allowed on school grounds? Hisako backed away from him, clutching her bag, and glanced back towards the school.

The man made no move to follow her. "I'm sorry," he said, sounding genuinely apologetic. Suddenly, she was seized with paranoia—what if this sort of behavior was _normal_ in the city? Had she just offended some sort of rich patron of her new school? "I just worry about you. Please, be careful, my dear."

Nope, definitely a creepy person. He waved pleasantly as Hisako retreated into the school building. She should probably report him, but to whom? Would it be okay to just mention him to a teacher, or would she have to talk to the principal or someone else? She couldn't help but sigh as she reached up to her too-high locker again. She had wanted a normal first day, not one filled with red paint and weird men.

"Hey, new girl!" She jumped, nearly dropping her bag, and turned to see one of her classmates. She only recognized the girl because she sat behind her. What had been her name? "I was hoping to catch you, but Yuri was hogging you. I'm Suzuka Sakuraba!"

Perfect timing. "I'm Hi—"

"Hisako-chan, got it!" Suzuka chirped, looping their arms together and dragging her back towards the classroom. Hisako briefly wondered if everyone at her new school was so physical; would this set the tone for the rest of the year? She wasn't sure she necessarily liked it. She carefully took her arm out of Suzuka's, giving her an apologetic smile. Suzuka didn't seem bothered. "Since we sit close, don't be afraid to ask me about anything, okay? Class or social or whatever!"

"Um, okay. Thank you."

"Are you always so shy and quiet? I mean, some girls do that and it's cute on them, but gosh! Don't be afraid to speak up a little!" Suzuka said with a laugh. Glancing around, she then leaned in and added conspiratorially, "And watch out for Yuri, okay? He and Mika are kinda infamous together, but he's hurt his share of girls."

"How?" Hisako asked, hopeful to finally get a couple hints about the class she'd just been dropped into.

"He's a painter. In the Art Club, I think, or he was at one point. He's really good, usually wins a ton of awards at inter-school competitions and stuff."

...Was creativity shunned in the city or something? She could only stare blankly at the redheaded girl, trying to figure out how painting would be so chauvinistic that several students and a teacher had to warn her. Although it did simplify that morning's incident and Mika's weapon of choice.

"Oh!" Suzuka chuckled again, letting Hisako go outside of their classroom. "I guess that didn't really answer your question. Yuri's a painter, and he likes to paint beautiful girls and women. Some people say he's even painted models before. But the thing is, he'll ask to paint a girl, and then come up with some reason why she's not beautiful or pretty enough, or he can't paint her, or it comes out wrong, or anything! Most girls don't take kindly to the implication that they're not pretty enough to be painted."

"Has that happened to you?" Hisako asked, eyes large. That did answer some questions about Yuri and Mika, and she could see more of Mika's side of the argument now. Yet here she'd wanted to stay out of the drama, and she was asking more about it...

"Haha, once! Only once, but I guess that's all it takes, huh?" Suzuka followed her into the room just as the bell rang overhead. "It was a couple years ago, but you know what he painted? A big splotch of red, all swirls and blobs! He's not an abstract artist, let me tell you, and normally his paintings are—oh, hello Mika!"

Mika, hands on her hips, intercepted them before they could safely sit down. Suzuka smiled nervously, eyes on the ceiling instead of her classmate; too late, Hisako wondered if she should be avoiding eye contact as well. "New girl," she said sharply, nearly making Hisako jump, "...I just wanted to apologize."

That hadn't been what she was expecting. Evidently, neither had Suzuka. "Woah, really? Should I get my camera out?"

"Not to _you_, to her," Mika spat. She turned back to Hisako and her gaze softened a bit. "I _am_ sorry for my behavior this morning, and I know it didn't paint me in the best light." Suzuka snorted back another laugh. "And I'm really sorry you got put between us in the seating chart. Yuri and I will eventually cool down, but I figure this can't be fun for you."

"Um, no, that's okay. It was just... really surprising," she replied lightly, but Mika kept her serious expression. "Thank you for the apology?" she guessed.

"If you want, I can give you a proper tour after school, since I interrupted your earlier one." Hisako nodded enthusiastically. "And stick closer to this one than Yuri," she added with a nod towards Suzuka. "He may seem quiet and harmless, but he's _not_."

Hell hath no fury indeed. They sat down and she noticed that Yuri had already sat down to her right; how much had he heard? She didn't like talking about others, and while she wasn't about to ignore their advice, he hadn't seemed _so_ bad. He didn't pay her any attention and messed with his phone as the stragglers filed into the room.

Class offered her some peace and quiet. Mika and Yuri both ignored her and each other, and once Suzuka unsubtly turned around in her seat to ask her the answer to the question the teacher had just asked her. The English teacher, Mr. Akiyama, was clearly not impressed with the antic, but let it slide since Hisako gave her the correct answer. He didn't seem to mind the new student, nor was he overly strict. So far, none of her teachers seemed too bad.

It was after class, at her too-tall locker, that she saw Yuri again and he didn't ignore her. "How'd you like your first day?" he drawled and knelt down to unlock his.

Hisako looked around quickly for any sign of any of the girls in their class. She didn't want to seem like she was picking sides, and she certainly didn't want to start any more drama. They had enough of that around. "It was... hectic," she decided and looked down at his lower lock. Bending down wouldn't be fun, but at least she could reach it... "Yuri-kun, if I can ask, um, is the locker switch still... available? Is it against the rules?"

"Kids have done it before with no real penalties." And judging by his nonchalant attitude, he wasn't worried. She relaxed a bit. "Wanna trade, then?"

"Oh, yes. Please." She sagged in relief and carefully knelt beside him. Her locker was already empty, her things near her feet. He simply reached into his and dragged out a messy pile of papers, notebooks, and several paintbrushes. She had only thought these were for purses and shoes and bags, but... He had certainly taken advantage of the space.

"So, they finally warned you, huh?" Yuri asked and shuffled out of the way.

"About... you?" she asked in reply. He seemed like a straightforward guy, and she didn't want to beat around the bush. She still had to meet Mika by the library in a couple minutes, if she could remember where it was... "Yes, I've gotten warnings. Is any of it true?"

"It's all true," he replied and nudged his old locker again. "The combo's 1-14-22. At least you won't have to completely forget your new one, since I bet you haven't memorized it yet."

"Thank you," she mumbled and dug around in her backpack for the slip of paper where she'd written her combination down. Without looking at it again—why reinforce it—she handed it to him.

"Going to ignore me now?" Yuri asked, simply. He didn't sound mean or sad; it sounded like an honest question.

Hisako fixed him with a serious look. "I'm not going to buy into rumors until I see evidence. Don't be a jerk, and I don't see why we can't be friends."

He looked down at her, a comical mixture of surprised and faintly embarrassed. She did her best to hold his gaze. She was supposed to be making friends at this new school, and they'd already been through a paint fiasco and a locker trade together. Rumors were just rumors, anyway, and Suzuka didn't sound as if she was actually mad at him like Mika was. It was all probably overblown high school drama.

"Yuri, leave her alone." And then Mika arrived. Of course she arrived; checking her phone, Hisako saw that she was already four minutes late for what was probably just down the hall. She quickly stepped out of the way as Mika marched up to him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "You probably think you're tough shit, you pig, but I won't have you breaking more hearts!"

"I told you, I can't paint you. I'm sorry," he said tonelessly, eliciting a brilliant blush from her. Hisako edged away from them. Maybe she had already gotten in too deep.

"Wh-Why the hell not! So you want the _new_ girl now, is that it?! Set your sights on the latest model? You skirt-chasing, perverted libertine!" Hisako was curious about where Mika got her terminology, she really was. It wasn't the average high school student's vocabulary. She shuffled away from them, hoping her escape was relatively inconspicuous, and spied Suzuka peering around the corner of the hallway. She gestured to her.

Hisako decided it'd probably be safer to run for it. Suzuka seemed like the safer bet, and there wasn't yelling in her direction. The redhead broke into a huge grin as they ducked back around the corner, out of sight. "Isn't she just... They're so funny sometimes."

"Is _that_ this school's idea of humor?" People—girls especially—loving drama as entertainment was nothing new to her, but she hadn't expected it from Suzuka.

And thankfully, she shook her head. "No, not that! It's just... She gets so worked up when it comes to him, doesn't she? If you ask me, there's more than some hurt feelings over a painting between them. She's always been a little prickly when it comes to Yuri painting other girls, anyway!" Oh. Hisako listened to the argument for a moment longer; she could see the spurned lover angle from Mika. But did Yuri?

"So... I guess he doesn't like her back?"

"Who knows?" Suzuka said and shrugged. She led Hisako down the hallway, gesturing to the classrooms in turn. "They're complicated, but funny sometimes. If you get past the shouting, but to be fair, that only started about a week or so ago. Usually our school's much more boring. And over here we have the boring classrooms!"

"Sakuraba, I _heard_ that," called their homeroom teacher from inside. She chuckled sheepishly and hurried down the hall.

"And here are some bathrooms. Equally exciting. I guess what really matters now is not the bickering couple, but the fact that I managed the steal the honor of the tour guide right under both their noses!" Suzuka strutted in front of her, puffing up her ample chest with pride. Hisako couldn't help but laugh. Encouraged, Suzuka leaned in close and said lowly, "The best part about this is that neither of them will expect me as the thief! I'm supposed to be at practice right now, but it got canceled."

"Is showing the new kid around such a big deal?" she asked as Suzuka showed off their 'also boring' library.

"Yeah! We only got one last year, and you were a surprise this year. I know this is a city, but there's so many schools here and transfers are so uncommon that we hardly ever get new blood. Haruka's in the exchange program and here in a couple months we're tradin' her, but it's the chance to make a totally new friend, right?" Suzuka said cheerfully. Though her back was to her, Hisako nodded and smiled nonetheless. At least most of the people here were friendly.

Her school tour was once again cut short as a tall girl with twin braids came calling for Suzuka. She couldn't help but be amused. Maybe she was destined to only get through the first floor of the school, or maybe she'd just keep adding pieces with each new person she met.

"See you later, Hisako-chan!" Suzuka called, not at all fazed by the fact that she was being literally dragged away.

This school was _weird_, Hisako finally decided.

-.-.-

Hisako finished unpacking her room, moving things to their permanent spots. Her new room was smaller than her old one, but at least she was done. It already seemed cozier. It was still too early to start making supper, but she wasn't sure when her father was due home from work. She didn't really have anything else to do but homework, which was more than a little disheartening.

She breezed through her homework; most of it seemed like review for the new term. She studied a bit of English, since it was far from her strongest subject, until her dad finally returned home. To her surprise, he'd gotten take-out on his way, so they spent the rest of the evening watching television and eating together. Most everything around the apartment was unpacked, though it'd all take some getting used to. In their old home, the TV was on the other wall, but this wasn't so bad. She slurped down the rest of her noodles and rested against her father's shoulder.

"How was your first day here?"

"Exhausting. City people are... eccentric," she said tactfully. She wanted to be defensive of her potential new friends, but some of the antics she'd witnessed were more than a tad strange.

"I'm sure you'll tough it out."

"The teachers mostly seem nice."

"Make any new friends?"

"Um..." There was the question she'd been half-dreading. She thought of the bickering pair, Yuri and Mika. She thought of the sunny Suzuka. And then she thought of that awkward man she'd met during her lunch break. "I'm sure I'll make some. The class was very welcoming."

"I'm glad to hear that," Koichi replied and pressed his lips to her hair.

"I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight, papa. Today has worn me out, and we both have a full week ahead of us, so you make sure to get your sleep, too."

"Haha, who's the parent here?"

"I am," Hisako said and puffed out her chest. "Now off to bed with you."

"Yes ma'am," he said and stood up. He gathered up their trash and took care of it, then gave her another kiss goodnight. "Sleep well, Ma-chan. Sweet dreams."

-.-.-

Knowledge: level 1/5 (+4)  
-Harebrained

Confidence: level 1/5 (+0)  
-Wallflower

Charm: level 1/5 (+0)  
-Awkward

Empathy: level 1/5 (+0)  
-Tolerant

-.-.-

Author's Notes: And here we begin _Poison Tree Frog_, which, while ridiculously named, will largely not be a ridiculous story. A lot of work has been put into this, an embarrassing amount really, and my darling MundaneJester has been helping me with it. It's our child. This story, as you've hopefully noticed, is an original Persona fanfiction, and while it will contain references to canon games in the series as well as fandom jokes, we're hoping that it's not necessary for you to have necessarily played them. It's going to be an enjoyable ride, trust me, if we can include even HALF of the stuff we want to.

Warnings: swearing, sexual themes, exploring sexuality and gender, implied sex of teenagers, violence, death, a lot of mythology, sweater bunnies, slow updating speed, and this will be a very long story. If you have issue with any of these, I'll not judge you for leaving, but later when we get into it and if you complain about anything other than legitimate concerns, I will judge you.


	2. Garu

Thursday, April 10th, 2014

...

Hisako settled into her school routine. Her newness had worn off unexpectedly quickly, but on the bright side, it meant she was already lapsing into a comfortable rapport with some of her classmates. The drama had settled down, too, for which she was eternally grateful. Suzuka was still just as friendly as when she'd met her, Mika was just as prickly but respectful, and Yuri was just as taciturn and awkward.

She wouldn't say she was making friends, however. At least not immediately. Suzuka had lamented the fact that she had practice right after school, but that was it. Hisako had the afternoons to herself. Her father, having started his new job, didn't usually return until the evening. She studied and kept up with her homework, but it wasn't terribly exciting. Her father didn't want her getting a part time job just yet, and she would respect his wishes, but she wished she had _something_ to do after school.

She was out getting groceries when she saw the man again. It was the same handsomely dressed man who had approached her and invaded her space on the first day of school. She did a double-take, at first, surprised to see him again. He was in another fine suit, dark hair meticulously swept back, and appeared to be studying a bunch of carrots with inappropriate intensity.

She couldn't help but stare at him, but that was her mistake. He turned and caught her eye, brightening at once. Hisako turned and left, ducking into another aisle. She was nearly done with her shopping, but not quite. Too early for a total escape. Unfortunately, he followed her.

"Um, I'm sorry, but please stop following me," she said quickly and darted into another aisle.

"Wait, please!" She wasn't about to wait for the strange man, no sir. Hisako nearly tripped over her own feet as she scanned the market for the last things she needed. The man headed her off back at the vegetables. "I'm sorry," he told her, sounding sincere.

"I don't know who you are, but I'm just trying to get food. I didn't mean to interrupt your... examination of the carrots."

"I was only waiting for you." That made matters worse. "I'm so sorry, I don't mean to upset you, my dear. I promise I will leave you alone again once I have warned you."

"Warned me?" Hisako asked warily. He had to have mistaken her for someone else, but if he would just leave her alone, she'd listen to him. If it would avoid a scene, at any rate.

"It's my sister. She is trying to find a replacement and she's trying to leave her duties. I believe she plans on trying to use a human for it."

And with that, Hisako was done talking to the bizarre man. He caught her by the upper arm as she tried to get past him, and she flinched back. He frowned—but he didn't release her. "Let go of me!" she demanded.

"Inanna, please! I'm only trying to help you!" he cried.

"You have me mistaken for someone else. That's not my name, now let me go!" She tore her arm free and hurried towards the checkout. She could get the rest of her things tomorrow, just so long as she didn't have to deal with him. He obviously had something wrong with his head, and she had no idea who Inanna was supposed to be. It didn't sound like a Japanese name, and it definitely wasn't anyone she knew.

He didn't bother her again, thankfully. It seemed as if the few other customers and cashiers at the checkout kept him away, but that only made her worry more. The store wasn't too far from her new home. School, where she had first seen him, was across town; this was too close for comfort.

"Are you waiting for someone, miss?" Hisako jumped and returned to reality, shaking her head with a sheepish smile.

"No, just making sure... Nothing."

-.-.-

Friday, April 11th, 2014

...

"Good morning."

Hisako rubbed at her eyes. There was so much blue—that wasn't her room. She sat up and combed her fingers through her hair, squinting sleepily at her surroundings. Still a lot of blue, but faintly familiar. Something stirred in the back of her mind.

The massive-nosed man behind the desk gave a low chuckle. "It's not often I greet guests with that particular phrase," he admitted, seeming pleased with himself.

"This is... I remember this place," she said with a yawn. She was still in her pajamas, and looking down, she found herself on a surprisingly comfortable train seat. It was tempting to just fall back asleep there, even if it was potentially a dream.

"The Velvet Room, and I am Igor," he reminded her gently. She nodded. "It has not been long since our last meeting, but I called you here to let you know that things may be changing more rapidly than either of us had anticipated."

"Changing? How?"

"Your powers are budding, and they are about to bloom." She jumped as the pale-haired woman came up behind her. She was soon joined on Hisako's other side by the man. Octavia and Atticus, she remembered them now. She just wished they hadn't spooked her so badly. As if sensing this, Atticus broke out into a smile.

"Soon, you'll become someone with a fantastic gift. But also a great responsibility," he said. Octavia nodded in silent agreement.

"What do you mean?"

"It is difficult to see any details right now, but soon enough, we shall all become enlightened," Igor said. Somehow, even in a dream, he gave off that all-knowing vibe, so she was a little disappointed that he could only give her these cryptic sorts of hints. Hopefully he wasn't doing it for his personal amusement.

"Um, do you know if this involves a strange man with dark hair?" Running into him once was weird, but twice was too much for her to believe it was coincidence.

She caught Octavia and Atticus exchanging a look. "I don't believe so," he replied, puzzled.

"It's only supposed to involve a woman," she added.

It figured that it wouldn't tie together that neatly. Maybe she was being a little paranoid, but she couldn't believe that the strange things that had only begun happening when she moved weren't related. Hisako sighed in defeat and nodded. "These dreams are so weird."

"No weirder than the human realm," Atticus said under his breath, but she caught it all the same.

"If it makes you feel better, the next time you come here, it will be of your own volition," Octavia said. Then, smile slipping, she added, "We will always be here to aid you."

"Wait, I thought this place _was_ a dream. How am I supposed to come here again on my own?" Hisako asked, but the Velvet Room was already fading around her.

"You will figure it out," Igor said with a wave, and she woke up in her own room. She definitely didn't like all of the mystery. It was entertaining as far as dreams went, granted, but she also didn't like that it left her awake at six in the morning. She didn't need to be up for another hour at least.

She decided to get up. She could try making a more elaborate bento or something for lunch, or perhaps just watch the morning news. She was sure she'd find some way to use up her unwanted extra time. Hisako ran her brush through her hair and then started braiding it back; she normally wore it half up. It looked detailed and pretty, but it was actually very simple for her. She had the movements memorized, and as her fingers worked, she allowed her thoughts to drift.

She'd have to go grocery shopping again tonight, she knew. She was also struggling to keep up in English already, since they were going over some grammar issues that she had never been all that great with to begin with. Suzuka had invited her out after school on Saturday as well, though she wasn't quite sure for what. She still wanted to get a part-time job, too. How was it that she could seem so busy and yet so _not_?

Hisako finished her hair and, still in her pajamas, tiptoed out into the kitchen. Her father still wasn't up. She ended up making her usual lunch, by which time he woke up as well, and she decided to try making breakfast for them. "What's the occasion?" Koichi asked, amused.

"I just woke up earlier than usual," she replied. She could make eggs, but they didn't have enough for that to be the only thing. She could try to make omurice, but that was pretty hit and miss for her. They didn't have any ingredients for pancakes, though she had meant to get them last night. Her breakfast skills were painfully limited. "I had a weird dream, and decided to get up afterward. I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No, no, you didn't. I was just surprised to see you awake so early." He turned on the television, and the woman on the screen cheerfully announced the weather. The day was supposed to start off cooler, but warm up around noon.

She gave herself the first omelet, since it turned out a little misshapen. She also timed it a little off; the rice wasn't quite done. Hisako sighed. One day, she'd learn how to cook properly. Just not anytime soon, it seemed.

After breakfast, her father said he had to go in early. He kissed her on the hair and hurried out. At least he'd eaten all of his food, which, she had to admit, made her feel a little better. Hers had tasted a little rubbery. Her extra time had evaporated pretty quickly, and soon enough, she was straightening her tie and pulling on her shoes. She ran out the door, bag in hand, and checked her phone again. She still had time, but she hadn't expected to have misjudged the time that badly.

Hisako slowed to a walk. Something felt off. She looked around, but there was no one else in sight. Finally, she looked down—and realized she had completely forgotten her socks. It was a bad habit she had somehow picked up in middle school, but she hadn't expected to forget again! She checked her phone again. She was almost to the bus stop and she didn't have time to run back and get them if she didn't want to be late.

"Nngh," she groaned and paused, looking back towards her apartment building. Could she run that fast? She didn't know when the next bus came after hers, so what if that made her late? Her shoes weren't uncomfortable without socks—part of the reason she forgot them, she suspected—but she'd look so weird.

Suddenly, her problems were tossed out the window. She hadn't noticed the woman come up behind her. In fact, she hadn't noticed anything until that strange man from before grabbed the woman and shouted, "No! Not her!"

Hisako squealed and dashed away from them, more surprised than anything else. The man was physically restraining the woman, though it looked as if he was actually losing. She was surprised at the force he was using—and how the woman completely threw him off. She was dressed in a tattered cloak of some kind and her wavy hair was a mess. Some sort of homeless woman?

"Not _her_!" the man repeated and lunged at the woman. She barked out a laugh and turned on him, blasting him back with some sort of—Hisako wasn't even sure what she was watching anymore. She hadn't touched the man, but he had been thrown backwards all the same. Wait. Hadn't Igor warned her about a woman?

"She's the cause of all of this, and you know that! You _know_ that!" the woman accused. Her voice was surprisingly soft, even raised.

"I-I didn't do anything!" Hisako said quickly and backed up. There was no one else on the street, but the bus stop was only around the corner. Surely there'd be someone to help there... "You must have me mixed up with someone else."

"Inanna, run!" the man shouted and tackled the woman again. They both went skidding across the sidewalk into the street. There was urgency in his voice, and she certainly didn't want to get assaulted or drawn into a fight. Hisako turned and ran.

As she turned the corner, it was like she was abruptly dunked back into city life. There were several people waiting for the bus, a couple of them chatting amongst themselves or into phones. There was traffic and noise and life again. Hisako couldn't help her curiosity and peeked back around the corner of the building. The fighting pair were gone.

She pressed her hand against her forehead. "I must be going crazy..."

She mercifully got to school on time. A couple of students gave her weird looks for her missing socks at the lockers, but no one commented on it. At least, no one did until she shuffled into her classroom and Mika asked at once, "Why aren't you wearing socks or stockings?"

She burned in embarrassment and sighed. "I forgot them at home." Mika raised an eyebrow and stood up from her seat, closing her notebook as an afterthought.

She approached her and looked her up and down, seemingly looking for other missing articles of clothing. Hisako frowned at her. "How can you forget your _socks_? Don't you notice when you put on your shoes?" Mika asked, puzzled.

"It's a bad habit I picked up when I was younger. I would go play outside and forget to put on socks. My feet got used to wearing them like that. D-Do you happen to have an extra pair I could please borrow?"

"That's not exactly a thing most girls bring extra of..." Mika looked about the classroom. There were a couple other classmates there before the bell, most of them watching unabashedly. Two of them shook their heads. "Wait, I know. Come on." She grabbed her hand and marched out into the hall, scanning the students milling about.

Hisako wasn't sure where she was being led, but she was already used to the physicality of the other students here. She figured Mika would help her, just so long as she didn't get distracted by Yuri. She couldn't help but brighten when she saw the telltale red hair of Suzuka outside the library doors. She was talking with the taller girl, another of their classmates named Haruka.

"Sakuraba, do you have any extra pairs of socks?" Mika asked seriously, breaking into the conversation without a care.

Suzuka didn't seem fazed. "Uh, yeah. Why?" She turned and caught Hisako, then her bare legs. "Oh. How'd you manage that?"

"I just forgot," she sighed. She wondered why Suzuka would have extra socks but Mika wouldn't, but she got passed off to Suzuka all the same. Haruka said something that caused Mika to glare at her, but they were too far away to hear. "Suzuka-chan, where are we going? I-I don't really know this part of the building."

"Oh, the locker room. Most of us bring spare changes of clothes for after practice or just because, and I have some socks in there."

"You're on the baseball team, right?"

"Yup! I'm the star pitcher. You're welcome to join, you know! We're holding try-outs in a couple weeks, but I'll put in a good word with the manager. Have you ever played before?" Suzuka asked brightly as she led her into the girl's locker room.

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I haven't."

"Well, I'm sure you would learn pretty fast. That's how transfer students are, right? They come in, have some outrageous talent, and then sweep everyone away with how good they are!"

"That's only in movies and manga," Hisako replied skeptically. Suzuka sat her down on a bench and opened a locker above her, then pulled out a pair of plain white socks.

"Sorry they're white, and they're a little thicker, too. But they're supposed to go with our sports uniform, not these skirts, haha."

"Oh no, thank you very much." Hisako was simply relieved she wouldn't have it constantly pointed out to her that she'd forgotten them. There were a couple other girls who wore different colored socks or stockings in the school, she knew, so she wouldn't stand out nearly as much now.

"What're friends for? Just return them whenever." They hurried back to class, making it safely in before the bell rang. Hisako wasn't used to making friends so quickly, but Suzuka was very welcoming. Mika was, too, in her own way. And she wasn't about to complain about it.

It wasn't until she sat down and unpacked her things that she realized that the desk to her right was empty. Yuri still wasn't there. He didn't strike her as the type to be late, but she hardly knew him. She caught Mika looking at his empty desk, seeming confused, so maybe he didn't come in late all that often. Incidents involving paint aside.

They were almost twenty minutes into their first class when he finally did arrive. Yuri came in with a mumbled apology, but Miss Yamashita waved him off with only mild annoyance. Hisako felt more than saw Mika give him a glare. Hisako herself could only stare at him.

Yuri came and sat down next to her without a glance their way. Hisako continued to stare. It wasn't that he was late—it was that he had _horns_.

She quickly glanced around to see if she was the only one staring. She was; everyone else was taking notes or texting. Mika only spared him one disdainful last look, and then returned to her book as well. No one else noticed the massive, black horns? Hisako returned to staring at him, incredulous. They had to be at least half a meter long, and he was already tall to begin with. They curved slightly and had ridges down the top, like an antelope or gazelle, she guessed. They were _not_ hard to miss, and they were honest to goodness _horns_. She could hardly believe it.

But she was the only one in class who was paying any attention to their horned classmate. Not even their teacher had spared him a second glance.

Hisako sunk lower in her chair. _Is this some sort of trick for the new kid?_ she wondered, a little angry at the very thought. She heard that practical jokes could happen, but she had been there for several days and no one had done anything. She wouldn't have thought that either Suzuka or Mika wouldn't tell her. Yuri didn't exactly strike her as the joking type, either.

She kept stealing glances at him throughout class. She could hardly concentrate on what was being taught. They were solid black, matching with his hair, and looked fairly pointed at the end. Yuri didn't react to the fact that he had them. He didn't feel them, scratch around them, or give any indication that he knew they were there. He didn't even act like they were heavy, though they had to be at that size.

_What is going on here_, she thought. Even as their teachers changed, no one reacted to the horns. She couldn't help but feel her own head, several times, undoubtedly messing up her hair. No one else had horns. She didn't. Not even the strange people in the Velvet Room or the weird man who called her Inanna had horns. Horns just weren't meant for people.

When the bell rang for their lunch break, Yuri excused himself without any fuss. Hisako watched him leave, waiting for him to duck out of the door. Instead, he walked through normally, heedless of the horns—and they fazed through the top of the door frame.

"I _am_ going crazy," Hisako lamented and buried her head in her arms.

"Why?" Mika asked, leaning over.

"You don't see those, do you," she mumbled. She already knew the answer.

"See what?"

"Hey, do you guys want to each lunch with me and Haruka today?" Suzuka turned around in her seat, then noticed Hisako. She poked her shoulder cautiously. "You alright?"

"She says she's going crazy," Mika told her. Hisako groaned again. "I understand the sock thing had you worried, but—"

"No, it's—there was this man, and I've seen him three times now. And then this morning, Yuri-kun, he..." She was explaining this wrong. She knew something weird had to be happening to him, and there were already two sources of weird in her life, so _one_ of them had to be connected. Surely.

"It's not often he's late."

She knew they didn't see them. No one but she did, for whatever reason. Maybe she had undercooked the eggs that morning and she was sick. Maybe she was still dreaming. Hisako allowed them to drag her off to lunch, though she didn't have much of an appetite. Suzuka cheerfully invited Haruka over. It seemed like they were teammates on the baseball team, but Haruka had been studying in the library during lunch the past couple days.

"Why?" Mika asked, appalled at the very notion. "And you have practice after school. Don't you get hungry?"

"I usually just eat something really quick. I just have to keep my grades up right now," Haruka explained. "I have to take a couple tests in a couple weeks to make sure I'm proficient enough to go over."

"But I'll miss you!" Suzuka exclaimed dramatically and latched onto her arm.

"Oh, right, you're in our exchange program," Mika said with a nod. She turned to Hisako and nudged her with her elbow. "You're not eating much, either. You're all so thin, you should be eating more."

Hisako was still thinking about Yuri. "Fine." It didn't make much sense. He wasn't acting any differently, though she had yet to speak with him personally about it.

"Hey, wait. Don't we have midterms in a month? They're making you study for your proficiency tests at the same time?" Suzuka asked with horror. Haruka nodded, hanging her head morosely. "That's so mean! I can't believe they'd do such a thing!"

"Hey, it means I'll pass my English tests with ease."

"Ugh, you should tutor me. I get all of the prepositions mixed up still."

"Oh, I'm not doing that well, either," Hisako added, forcing herself out of her own thoughts. She wouldn't dwell on him, she told herself. She would simply talk to him after school and ask if anything had happened. And he would be fine, and then she'd go home, take some aspirin, have a nap to clear her mind, and everything would be okay...

Suzuka leapt upon the idea. "We should have a study party some time! Closer to midterms so we don't forget it all again, but we could study together!" She looked at Mika expectantly.

She sighed and nodded. "I'll come, though I'm doing fine."

"Then you can help me with them," Haruka said with a laugh.

Lunch, and the pleasant distraction it brought, was over with all too quickly. Soon enough, Hisako was seated back in her classroom, next to the boy with the absurd horns. He was distracting her all over again. And as if out of spite, the horns seemed shinier than before, too.

Class was nearing its end for the day when she noticed that Yuri's breathing was beginning to become labored. He coughed a couple times, and eventually it got to the point where it distracted the class. "Sir? I don't think I'm feeling well."

"Go to the nurse, and then head home, since it's already so late," the teacher grumpily replied.

As he left the room, his horns actually made a _clack_ sound as they passed through the door's top frame. Mika, on her other side, jumped and turned to the sound. Hisako didn't notice her movement.

His coughing worried Hisako even more than the horns. She couldn't imagine that they were unrelated, but because he was leaving earlier, she wouldn't be able to talk to him! She didn't know where he lived, not even which direction, or how he got home. She tapped her feet nervously as the clock counted down to when the rest of the class would be released. She could only hope that it would take a little while for the nurse to check him over.

Finally, the last bell of the day rang. Hisako shot out of her seat with a hasty apology to Mika and Suzuka. The horns had to be making him sick somehow, and what if she was the only one who could see them? She managed to find the nurse's office on her own, but he wasn't there. "Kikuchi-kun left just a few minutes ago. It didn't seem serious, but it could be a cold."

"Thank you." She didn't stay for any more explanation than that. Hisako refused to believe that the horns were innocent. She didn't see him at the lockers, so she hurriedly grabbed her shoes and things and raced out the door. She spotted him—at least he was easier to find, with his height and his new horns—walking leisurely out the gates of the school, turning left.

She managed to keep him in sight, even with the crowd of students all around them. They were getting out of the school's territory and back out into the city, which meant more pedestrians and traffic, keeping her away. She wasn't even sure how to approach him properly.

Hisako followed him as he turned down a quieter street. He didn't turn around or notice her, or if he had, he was ignoring her. They were off any public transportation paths and well away from many residential areas, so she had to wonder where he was going. _Wait, why am I following him like some sort of spy? He's my friend_, she told herself sternly.

But just as she sped up and meant to finally ask him about it, he turned down another alleyway. Hisako jogged after him, and was immensely surprised to find him approaching a small, grassy area of some sort. There were several older stone buildings, one of them looking like a small church. The gate he walked through was heavy and iron, definitely not Japanese in style.

And then she realized that he had led her into a small cemetery.

He paused and leaned against a tombstone, coughing again. Although she was creeped out about her surroundings, she told herself he was probably here to paint something. ...Except he hadn't brought any supplies. She refused to believe this was going to get any creepier, though.

He wiped his mouth and patted the tombstone awkwardly, then turned his head sharply to one side. She jumped, fearing she'd been spotted, but he just turned down a small offshoot path. She followed him deeper into the cemetery, past another set of old gates. He approached a larger grave, contemplating it, and then bowed before it. Hisako was more curious and concerned than ever, but she felt it was right to keep her distance until she had a couple more answers about this whole thing.

Then, he slid back the top of the tombstone. She jumped and bristled at the sheer disrespect for the dead—and then he stepped into it and headed downward. _There are stairs!_ She waited until his horns disappeared from view and darted after him, staring in shock at the grave-turned-stairwell. "...Yuri-kun?" she whispered into the darkness below. There was, predictably, no response.

She looked around for someone else to help. A guard, a groundskeeper, anyone. The place was eerily silent and she was alone. She was fairly certain she didn't want to go down into the ominous, clearly evil pathway to pure soulless darkness. She was _very _certain she didn't want to. But Yuri had descended easily, and he was beyond acting strangely. Something serious was afoot and he was her friend. He could be in danger, or could _be_ dangerous. At the very least, she wanted answers about all of this sudden craziness in her life.

Hisako ventured downward.

The stairs and walls were all made of a colorless gray stone, cool and smooth to the touch. The stairs were a little steep, and there was no railing, but she didn't have to worry about slipping. They ended surprisingly early. She could still see bright daylight up above her head. They led out to a dirt path, the same width as the stairs, that continued winding downward. It got darker as she progressed and the light from above faded with the distance, but she could still see well enough to walk. She didn't see any sign of Yuri.

_Okay, Hisako, it's just getting a _little _creepier, no problem_, she thought, trying to brace herself as the light faded. She could only think of all of the horror movies she had ever seen. They all had to deal with darkness, and she _was_ in a cemetery, in a tomb, going down a stairway, into the dark, following her creepy horned classmate—_stop it! Stop thinking like that, idiot!_

But by then, she was thoroughly chilled. It wasn't too much cooler than up above, but the atmosphere wasn't exactly welcoming. The winding path didn't have any sharp corners for killers or monsters to hide behind, and she counted herself lucky for that. Visibility, however, was diminishing the farther she went down.

Then, she saw a light.

Hisako, hand against the wall as a comfort, peered curiously down the path. It was real light! The path had opened up into a large area, and she could see a far wall. She couldn't see a ceiling, however, as the path revealed a huge cavern instead. The light, soft and white, was coming from an unknown place, but she was so glad to have a new source that she hurried along regardless.

She was just about jogging by the time she made it into the open area. The light was coming from the far wall, to her surprise; it glowed up from the base like some sort weird lamp, uniform and constant. The area was still eerie, but at least it was lit. In fact, it was sort of pretty.

Just as she was thinking that and taking in the immenseness of the cavern, a voice called out "No further, if you'd please."

Hisako made a very undignified noise of surprise, something between a squeak and a shout. She turned and found—well, there was the monster she had been expecting. But he was thoroughly un-terrifying. Twice her height and with the body of a very muscular man, the monster had the head of a lion and large, blocky wings protruding out behind him. He was a dark, earthy brown from the tips of his bare toes up to his feline ears, aside from his eyes—a bright, nearly glowing green. While intimidating and _very_ surprising, still not exactly horrifying. He looked more like he belonged in a history museum than a horror movie.

And so, she replied in her calmest voice, "Hello."

"All who enter here must have no further ties to the land of the living," the monster told her.

Honestly, it made sense, considering she was in a cemetery. And, compared to the fighting couple that morning, Yuri with those long horns, and the pale-haired people who kept appearing in her dreams, this was surprisingly straightforward. Oh, she had wandered into the land of the dead, and he was telling her such. Hisako was definitely back to thinking she was crazy again. But at least the monster acted sane.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm just looking for my friend who came through here." The lion-man's ears twitched and his snout wrinkled. "A boy, taller than I am, with dark hair and... horns."

"All who enter here must have no further ties to the land of the living," he repeated, but sounded a little more confused.

"No one's been in before me?" she guessed and he looked towards the lit wall, betraying the answer. So Yuri had somehow gotten past the monster, but how? He hadn't beaten her in by that long, and there weren't any other routes downward. He had to have come through there.

"You are the first living human I have seen in centuries." Oh—she hadn't been expecting an actual _conversation_. Too often, the monsters in movies and books were frustratingly cryptic. This would be a surprising change of pace, and it cemented his non-terrifying presence.

"There's no other way down here, is there?"

"Not from that direction, no," he replied stiffly, standing up a little straighter. But then, he looked back out over the wall. She could see a gap in it, leading into some sort of corridor.

"Well, I followed someone down here. I'm certain he's come through here."

"No one with any ties to the land of the living may enter."

"Yuri—my friend—he's not _dead_!" Hisako said at once. She was fairly certain she would have been able to tell if she had made friends with a zombie. If nothing else, Mika would have gladly warned her about that, too.

The monster made a gesture; it took her a moment to realize he had shrugged. His movements were sluggish, as if he was unused to moving that much. He had mentioned centuries, too. Maybe she had stumbled onto something a little too big...

"Can I just... Um, could I just take a peek in that place?" The cavern was large, but it was solid rock all around them. There was only the way she'd came, behind her, and the opening in the smooth, whitish wall, across the open space. Far too far for her to simply run for it. And with that lion head, she had the notion that he'd simply pounce on her if she tried.

He sighed wearily. "I will not repeat myself again. No one with any ties to the land of the living may enter. I guard this space, and that is what I have been commanded to do." He eyed her with those unnerving bright green eyes. "You may go no further, if you wish to keep your ties."

"So... I have to be _dead_?" Hisako asked fearfully, earning a nod. That had not been the plan. "But..." He _had_ been very slow with his movements. Maybe he was one of the hulking, lumbering types of monsters.

"You are a fearless human child." She didn't like the label of child—or fearless. She just had a long lapse of judgment and a bad case of curiosity when it came to why her classmate had shown up with horns that morning. And she was slowly losing her mind, because she was talking to a centuries-old guardian of the land of the dead.

"Is this hell?" Hisako had to ask.

"No." That was only _slightly _reassuring. So Yuri hadn't led her down into hell. He had still left her with too many questions and a guardian to the underworld. "My patience grows thin. Please, leave here."

He was offering her an out, she recognized. She could turn and leave and pretend she never found that place. But that would mean leaving Yuri to whatever was going on, and who knew what that was? "What is this place?"

"Irkalla, where souls come to rest. You are not supposed to be here."

"But there's someone else, another living human, who's down here with me. I need to find him, and then I will return, and leave you alone forever." Her father always called her stubborn, but facing down a guardian of Irkalla should win her some sort of prize. Though to be fair, he had been a very accommodating guardian so far.

He took a warning step towards her, wings flapping once, betraying his agitation. "There has been no other living things down here." What Hisako took away from his movement was that he was _not_ fast.

"I know he came down here." The monster wasn't fast, and he'd be chasing a smaller target. She couldn't believe she was considering this, and maybe it wasn't just for Yuri at this point. She knew what she had seen. She had seen a grown man and woman fighting in the street that morning, she had seen her classmate come in with horns, she had seen not another soul bat an eye at those horns. She was seeing a monster and the underworld.

And this monster would see her run for the entrance.

Hisako broke into a sprint and she caught him jump, as if in surprise, in her peripherals as she ran past. The gap of open space to the glowing wall was further than she had imagined, but she didn't hear any signs of pursuit. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, she thought he would simply _fly_ after her—but risking a glance back, she saw that she had guessed correctly when she thought that the wings were mostly for intimidation.

The lion face snarled, lips curling to reveal impossibly long fangs, and Hisako turned back around. It was too late now to regret stupid decisions. She felt the ground shake beneath her feet, though, and she nearly lost her footing. She was halfway there, though, and had more of a lead than she could have hoped for.

But the shaking came again, and this time, she did trip. She caught herself at the last moment and turned. The guardian was bounding after her on all fours, leaps long and powerful, and was almost upon her. Hisako bit back a scream and threw herself to the side as he came down where she had just been. The shaking ground was enough to send her skidding, knees and hands scraping as she tried to get back to her feet.

"Get back here!" he roared, sounding too much like a lion and not enough like the civil monster from before. This had definitely been a mistake. It was too late to change her mind now.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting. She managed to dodge his next leap, by a hair's breadth, but not the following one. Hisako fell, barely catching herself with her hands, as he snagged her legs with—oh no, she hadn't noticed the claws before. She gasped in pain as they dug into her calves, cutting through the socks and into flesh. "Let me go!" she screamed, shrill, and tried to twist in his grasp.

The monster unhooked his claws from her legs and grabbed instead. He lifted her, upside-down, and she screamed again. Blood rushing into her head made her feel dizzy and she fought to try to keep herself modest and simultaneously reach his hand. She didn't have the strength to reach all the way up there, not when he was holding her by an ankle. Kicking him would have to do, but that hardly fazed him.

"You are a very intriguing human, but your time here is over. At least, as a living human," he said, and she noticed he was panting. So he wasn't that energetic. She _could_ have stood a chance if she had just managed to avoid him. Then, what he said caught up with her.

"You—You're going to kill me?" Hisako asked in a small voice.

"I told you as much." He sounded disappointed with her. "No one with ties to the land of the living may come through here."

"But my friend did! Someone else got past you—I just want to find him! Then we'll both leave, I promise!"

"Little child, did you expect to trick a god and get away with it? You are coming in here as a spirit. There is no other route this situation will take at this point."

So not a monster, but a god. She had never heard of one like him, but she wasn't going to dispute it at that point. She gave up on her skirt and pushed away from him with both hands, swinging in his grasp. He still didn't drop her, to her dismay. More kicking, but that just earned a wince and a curled lip. Heart hammering in her chest, she wasn't seeing any way out of this—she couldn't talk herself out, she couldn't fight her way out, and she couldn't run away.

She could really die because of this.

The blood still trickling down her leg felt cold. Her vision was starting to swim and her head felt stuffy from being held upside-down for so long. But she didn't want to die. She just wanted to find Yuri and get the hell out of there. Hisako flexed her fingers and tried to push away from the god-monster again. "I have seen too many weird things today to just die like this," she croaked, feeling rather foolish for how this was turning out. "And I am not going to leave my father all alone. You will release me, and I will go find Yuri, and then we will leave. Now, let me down."

He snorted; it sounded a bit like a laugh.

"You could at least have the decency to take me seriously!" she said hotly.

"But you have not taken this situation seriously, not for a moment since we've met."

"I _only_ wanted to do this civilly. I am only here for my friend."

"And you stubbornly repeat yourself. Like a child. Just a child, no matter how fearless or selfless," he said and raised her higher, so they were nearly eye-level. His green eyes were even creepier up close. With his free hand, he brought his claws up, lightly against her neck and cheek.

Sharp things, against her throat. This was one moment away from—Hisako quelled the panic inside her and did the last thing she could think of. She spat in his face.

The effect was instantaneous. He snarled, sounding very much like an angry cat, and dropped her. The monster seemed more appalled by her move than actually distracted. Hisako landed heavily on her shoulder, but she had managed to brace herself. She rolled to her feet, ignoring the pain in her calf, and pressed her hand against her neck where he'd nicked her with a claw. The adrenaline was working on her like a bad influence; she had come this far, he was tired, she was faster, she had not just followed a stupid whim to end up _killed_.

She ran for it, and he pursued her. She didn't get very far before he knocked her feet out from under her, though she managed to roll out of the way of his following swipe. The white wall with its opening seemed tantalizingly close, and yet too far for an injured sprint. But she was _so close_. It wasn't fair! She had come too far.

The monster leapt at her, shaking the ground with his landing, and she fell again. He was too close. She let go of her neck and reflexively brought her arms up to cover her head as he batted at her.

But the blow didn't come. There was a long moment—Hisako curled there, braced, only thinking of how furious she was at herself for doing this, for not finding Yuri, for leaving her dad and new friends behind—and then, it wasn't claws digging into her back and side like she expected.

It was claws ripping her apart from the inside.

She jerked and her back snapped rigid, uncurling her, and Hisako could only _feel_ as something tore through her chest. Not quite claws, but daggers, ice cold and merciless. All of her anger and fury bubbled beneath it, boiling up through the gashes carved through her, and she could only stare, terrified and frozen, at the rocky ceiling above her. Her entire body was locked up, painfully so, and she was forced to watch as the blood from her wounds stopped flowing—and instead, began dripping _upward_. The pain inside her was clawing its way out, upward, fighting its way out to meet it. And the little flecks of red were joining together, brightening, glowing.

The thing inside of her burst out of her chest and met the blood in a flash of light.

Hisako collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily, unsurprised to find tears coursing down her cheeks. There was a loud noise, a clack, and she managed to lift her head enough to see claws stopped just barely in front of her. That hadn't taken forever; that hadn't even been a split second. The monster was still there, still intent on killing her.

She tilted her head back, following the blue staff that had intercepted the claws for her. Her eyes widened. Her savior was a dark-skinned woman, as tall as the monster, muscled and strong. She was something out of some old culture, with a wide, golden necklace laying on top of a bare chest, and a skirt with matching cuffs dyed like blood. A warrior.

The monster was staring at Hisako. He seemed shocked—no, scared. She pressed a hand to her chest and looked back up at the woman. Beyond all reason, her heart was still beating beneath her shirt. Even after that thing had tore itself out of her. She could feel some sort of intrinsic link between them, though she couldn't begin to identify why. Thinking of her in those terms came as naturally as breathing.

Unbidden, a word came to her, and she felt herself mouthing it before she even realized what it was. "Persona...?" _What is a Persona?_

The monster withdrew his clawed hands and shrank back. The woman didn't relax her defensive stance over Hisako. Neither spoke, only sized each other up.

Then, with a swirling of wind, another appeared on the scene. Hisako screamed and jumped behind the woman with the blue staff. The other two just looked away from the newcomer, expressions souring further. "Inanna, what have you come here for? Why would you return to Irkalla once more?" It was another woman—impossibly similar to the warrior above her, except a dead husk of her image. Her hair roots were grayed, not from age, but it seemed like the color itself had died. Her skin, likewise, was ashen and unhealthy. She wore a long, colorless robe, body and limbs hidden directly from view, though she, too, wore a golden necklace with a blue pendant.

The woman above Hisako turned her head, frowning irritably.

But the new woman, the one standing in between them and the god-monster, was looking at Hisako. She raised her eyebrows, signaling her impatience. "...What," Hisako ground out. This was all happening too quickly for her mind to continue processing. Her body was sore all over, she was still bleeding, and whatever had just happened—for there were no actual new wounds on her, despite the pain being vividly represented in her memory—had taken a large toll on her. One civil monster was just that: one thing to deal with. But now she had three. Three god-monsters, no horned Yuri, and—_did she just call me Inanna?_ Hisako realized, suddenly horrified.

"Dearest sister, have you already forgotten when you came here last? You may be quite careless, but surely you remember that particular past," the other woman pressed, sounding frustrated.

"I've never been down here before!" she exclaimed desperately. "I am Hisako Fujihara, _not_ Inanna! Who is Inanna, anyway?"

She got her answer as the topless woman above her shifted, almost uncomfortably. Of course. She wanted to cry. These beings shouldn't exist, much less force her into impossible conversations and roles. How was Yuri even involved in all of this?! Oh, she would have to have words with that boy, words not even Mika could rival in one of her moods.

"...You do not remember me, do you?" the other woman asked. Hisako shook her head, hair flying, unable to convey how much she did _not_ remember ever coming into the land of the dead before. "I am so sorry, I wish this weren't true. I cannot hope to grasp what you are doing down here now, but you don't have to hide from me here. If I can figure out how, I will help you, sister dear."

She wasn't sure if she could trust her ears. She wasn't sure she could trust anything about this situation, come to think of it. But talking was better than dying. "Can we... Could we please just talk about this for a moment?"

"Very well, I will not balk. If you so wish, we will talk," she replied kindly.

-.-.-

Knowledge: level 1/5 (+0)  
-Harebrained

Confidence: level 1/5 (+5)  
-Wallflower

Charm: level 1/5 (+0)  
-Awkward

Empathy: level 1/5 (+2)  
-Tolerant

-.-.-

Author's Notes: I warned you updates would be spotty. Also, I cannot rhyme, but I don't have a professional rhymer working with me, so oh well. Je regret! But rest assured, this project isn't discontinued until I say it is. It just takes a lot more work than normal fanfic chapters and stuff. (Dungeon planning is hard. Even harder when you apply raw video game logic.)

Fun fact: Yuri's horns are oryx horns.


	3. Garula

"So, you think... I mean, I am Inanna," Hisako said carefully. She sat with her knees together, inspecting her injured leg. Inanna sat behind her, cross-legged, unabashedly half-nude and not quite glaring at the others, but still giving off plenty of negative feelings. She couldn't exactly glare; upon a second look, Hisako was greatly surprised that the woman was blindfolded underneath her long, shockingly violet hair. It seemed like she was all reds and purples and browns, except for her blue staff and gold necklace.

"You are my sister, after all. You may call me Ereshkigal," the other woman said cheerily, complete with a grand smile. It was amazing how quickly this had gone from civil to violent to death threats to lighthearted conversation. It was dizzying. "He is this land's guardian, of a sort. This is Nergal, my consort."

She tried not to make a face at the mental images that conjured for her. "These names, they're not Japanese. Where are you—we—from, exactly?"

"We lived together a long time ago. In the land of the living, not this world below."

There was a change in her composure that prompted Hisako to lean forward and ask, "But not anymore...?"

"Inanna, it's done with. I would rather not rehash the past with you. I've finally come to peace with it all. Please, just let us start anew," Ereshkigal said.

Hisako relented. She looked up at the being looming over her. Inanna tilted her head down at her, mouth drawn into a thin line. She looked very much alive and pretty healthy, whereas Ereshkigal looked like she was dying—or dead. And considering where they were, Hisako could glean enough from that. She decided to change the subject. As pleasant as getting a break of all of the madness was, she still had a very pressing matter to attend to outside of it all. "Um, there was a boy who came down here before me."

Ereshkigal raised both eyebrows and looked at Nergal, beside her. "Nergal, is this true? Has another come through?"

"She was the first human I had seen." He frowned, though, and stole a glance over at Hisako. Neither of them seemed to actually _see_ the giant woman sitting behind her. It made her wonder how they were viewing her. "I had not realized it wasn't human."

"I am _too_ human," she huffed. The fact that neither of them were about to kill her had given her some stubbornness back, even if it was likely misplaced. "And I am not an _it_! I'm a girl!"

"Of course you are. But what _are_ you doing here? You have no need to be, Inanna dear, " Ereshkigal replied, tone soothing.

"I told you, I have to find a boy. Human boy with black hair and long _horns_ sticking out of his head!"

"Horns?" They exchanged an uneasy glance. It didn't sit well with her. "When was the last time she...?"

"If she's up to mischief, I would need to know. I have not seen her in far too long… There is no need to worry, though," she said quickly.

Nergal still looked unsure. "But if she is, we will have a massive problem on our hands…"

Hisako stayed silent, unable to come up with a response that didn't involve sarcasm.

"I will investigate this matter, but Inanna, Irkalla will always be open to you. Nergal will not forbid you entry again. And I, dear sister, will help too." She waved her hands in the air, and a delicate, golden chain appeared between them. She hooked it around her finger and drew little lines; from where her finger touched the links, a small charm appeared, with three in total. She handed it down to Hisako with another kind smile. Inanna leaned over her shoulder, emanating curiosity. "Should you need me, I will come at your behest. I only have three Tablets left, but they should keep you safe on this minor quest."

"Oh. Thank you," she replied, surprised by the gesture. She was going out of her way to be kind, if not strictly apologetic for the earlier happenings. It still sounded like a massive mix-up, but she wasn't going to turn down help. "But please... You don't know where my friend could have gone?"

"He must have gone somehow into Irkalla. It's the only place that we cannot currently view," she said and gestured at the open space surrounding them. "I will go; I would have words with Dumuzi and that sister of his, provided I can find the two..."

"Thank you," Hisako repeated. She stood up, a little shakily, and dusted off her skirt. She didn't have any problems with continuing on her own. No matter how polite Nergal could be or how outright nice Ereshkigal seemed, it would be nothing but a relief to be alone for a bit. Even hurt, even lost, she wanted some time to herself to think.

Ereshkigal placed a goodbye kiss on Hisako's forehead, and then disappeared with a gust of wind. Nergal pointed out the way towards the first gate, and she was on her way. A little more battered than she would have liked, but alive and upright, at least. And with a large, silent guardian following her.

"You don't talk, do you?"

Inanna replied by vanishing. Hisako whirled around, looking for any sign of her, but she was completely gone. She had to roll her eyes.

"Great. Okay. Let's just find Yuri-kun and get out of this place before something even _worse_ happens..."

The only real lighting in the area came from the base of the walls, with that same, soft, white glow she could see from the outside. Up close, the walls were even taller than she had thought. The gap hadn't led to a path as she had hoped, but instead two diverging paths. One turned fairly soon, and the other forked into another pair of routes.

Irkalla was a maze.

Hisako went the shorter way, peeked around the corner, and then pattered back down the other corridor. The lighting was dim enough not to cast shadows anywhere; her sense of space and depth were messed up. The seamless walls and twists and turns weren't helping things. She wasn't sure how she was going to find Yuri... or get back out of here. She didn't have anything to write with. She patted down her pockets, double-checking, hands stinging from the scrapes on them.

She stared at the red smeared on her hands. It would be better than getting lost. The blonde girl pressed her palm against the corner of the hall she was turning down, but it only hurt her. The mark she left was hardly visible. Gritting her teeth, she pressed harder. She managed to leave a fairly visible red handprint, but she also succeeded in making her hand actually bleed. "Great."

Her leg was still oozing blood out of the torn socks. Next time, she was just going to finger paint with that. And those were Suzuka's socks!

"How am I going to explain this to anyone...?" At bare minimum, she would have torn and bloody socks to explain to Suzuka, injuries to explain to her father, and several hours missing with Yuri to explain to everyone else. No one would believe the Irkalla or Nergal bits, or the horns, and definitely not Inanna.

First, she'd have to find him. She was still hoping Yuri would have more answers for her, and maybe he would. He had _better_. It was easier to be angry than scared, angry at him and at how her leg stung when she swiped up a little bit of blood to mark another wall, because getting scared would only have her crying or curled up in a corner. The sooner she found him, the sooner she could demand answers, and the sooner they could leave. She could bandage herself up and put ice on her chest. It still felt like Inanna truly had clawed her way out.

_Okay, find Yuri, yell at him, run out of here, and sleep for twelve hours_... That sounded like a nice plan. There, she had a focus now. Everything would be okay.

A shriek cut across her planning and she jumped horribly, only catching herself with the nearest wall. The sound died down into a keening, high-pitched laugh. It sounded like something out of a horror movie—a real monster, then, not another polite one. It made sense, right? She was in hostile territory, of course it wouldn't be that simple. Hisako edged along the wall and peeked around the corner.

It was like seeing a documentary; two hyenas circled around something else, barking and laughing. At least, they looked like hyenas... although their colors were all wrong (black with splotches of bright red and blue) and their backs looked a little _too_ hunched and they had masks on. Human-face masks, just sitting atop their heads, with their snouts poking out underneath. It would have looked silly had their teeth not been visible even from where she was standing.

_Okay, hyenas. Are there other animals down here? Nergal had a lion head..._ Hisako took a deep breath and peeked around once more. The masked hyenas had circled around, allowing her to see what they were picking on: a smaller dog-like creature. Where their fur was dusty and broken by splashes of color, it was sleek and pure black, almost shiny. The only contrast was the pretty gold necklace and anklets it wore. It reminded her of stylized Egyptian art.

They were blocking the only path forward. She could double back and check another route. Inanna hadn't reappeared, and with her leg hurt, she didn't fancy another chase. As Hisako backed away, the creature in the middle howled again, matching the earlier sound. The hyenas' laughter overtook it as it died off with a whine.

Then, as one, all three canines turned towards her. The Egyptian one had pure white eyes, no pupils, but a solid gold mask on the front of its necklace. One of the hyenas chuckled lowly as Hisako turned and ran. "Inanna!" she called as the monsters tore after her, barking and cackling, but the huge woman didn't reappear. "_Inanna_!" Hisako screamed again as they rounded a corner.

She dared a look back. The smaller one had taken the lead, easily outdistancing the larger two, and it had almost caught up to her already. Hisako dodged down a hallway that wasn't marked, hoping against hope to magically stumble upon Yuri soon.

A squawk was her only warning as she turned a corner, the black dog nearly upon her, and the two of them collided with a giant feathered thing. There was a heartstopping moment of nothing but claws and teeth and feathers as they fought to separate, and then Hisako stumbled out away. The new monster kicked the dog away with a snap of its sharp beak. This, like the hyenas, she recognized immediately, although it came from mythology books, not documentaries about the African savanna. The gryphon arched its neck back and flared out its wings, looking even larger. It was already taller than she was.

The gryphon was green and brown, and it, too, had a mask. Its beak was almost non-existent; the mask seemed to smush its face into something flat and owl-like, making it seem even more bizarre. Bizarre and dangerous, Hisako reminded herself. "Inanna?!"

The hyenas caught up, skidding to a halt with scared whines as they caught sight of the gryphon. The blonde darted past it, narrowly avoiding getting clipped with one of its massive wings. Putting it between her and them seemed like a good idea, especially since Inanna was a no-show. Irrationally, a small part of her was mad at that. She appeared, saved her from Nergal, impersonated her (or was Hisako the impersonator?), and then vanished.

The monsters behind her broke into fighting, distracting themselves from the escaping girl. She turned as many times as she could, set on putting walls and corners in between them, but that only put her in the middle of polished white walls and dark floor and distant ceiling and absolutely no directions. The blood on her leg had long since dried.

_Running is my only option, but I still need to find Yuri_, she thought sourly. Really, she should be more frightened. She knew she should be curled into a crying ball somewhere. And she _was_ scared, but it was just overshadowed by anger and annoyance. Anger which had really only appeared after Inanna had...

Hisako saw movement at the end of a long hallway. It made her jump again, but the figure seemed human. It was walking on two legs, at any rate. She watched it while she caught her breath, determined not to run into further danger. The figure seemed to be human... Probably male. She hadn't seen horns, but maybe they had disappeared once he had entered into Irkalla? It was better than gryphons and hyenas and jackals.

She suddenly lost her balance; the wall she had been leaning on vanished. As she faltered, she turned to stare at the wall. A giant _mouth_ had opened up on it. She snatched her hand out of it just as the teeth snapped shut. That could have taken her arm off! All around, eyes opened up on the wall, and several more mouths opened, showing off sharp teeth and lolling tongues.

She couldn't help her scream. An arm with too many joints pulled itself from the wall, reaching towards her. Hisako smacked it away and backed up—the other wall behind her stayed smooth and innocent. The hand reached for her again, making grabby hands like a child, but she was well out of its range.

Well, she had already made noise. Hisako steeled herself and ran down the corridor towards where the figure had been. It would be better than staying to find more dogs or monsters trying to eat her.

Around the corner, it was indeed a man she found. It was not, however, Yuri. Hisako jumped with a kneejerk reaction of anxious alarm at the doctor's coat. The man turned around to face her, and she could see that the masks were going to be a recurring theme of Irkalla. His was elongated into a strange caricature, mouth open with a lolling, curled tongue, eyes squinted half-shut in something like pleasure. It looked perverse.

"Hmmmmmm?" the doctor hummed with a sort of strange lilt. He sounded nearly flirtatious and it made Hisako's stomach churn. The thing looked human in all regards, aside from the monochrome mask, and it was a well-built adult male. Not exactly what she wanted to see.

Walls with mouths and eyes and hands behind her, creepy humanoid thing in front of her. And no warrior with handy blue staff to help her in sight. "_Inanna_, if you've left me here, I will—" Okay, so she didn't have a suitable threat for a giant topless goddess. At the sound of her voice, the doctor monster trilled and lurched towards her, horrifically large scalpel in hand.

At least the wall had been stationary. The blonde turned and ran, and even with a limp she could keep ahead of him. That one, anyway; rounding a corner, hoping to lose him, she found another one. This one, while sporting an exact replica of the mask and doctor coat, was undeniably female, if the breasts nearly as big as Hisako's head were anything to go by. She skidded to a halt and ducked under the jab with the large syringe the monster had.

_Wait, syringe?_ The other one hadn't had one—Hisako yelped as the scalpel in the female doctor's other hand came down on her shoulder. The masked monster moaned breathily and forced the girl to the ground. By that point, the male doctor arrived and Hisako was fairly certain this was about the end for her. She pulled the scalpel out of her shoulder, kicking and scratching at anything within reach, and then lashed out with her new weapon.

She managed to take two fingers off of the man's hand and he didn't stop attacking. Her breath caught at seeing the digits fall so easily from his hand, but he wasn't stopping, so neither could she. Hands grabbed at her hair, her shirt, her tie, her skirt. One of them stepped on her ankle, and another tried to kick her head, and no matter how hard she slashed or punched or kicked, they weren't stopping. Her hand was slick with blood and she couldn't let up long enough to get up or wipe it off and _damn it why won't they leave me alone?!_

Finally, the scalpel was knocked out of her hand as the female doctor monster stabbed her needle into the back of it. The male stepped on Hisako's wrist to keep her arm down and the woman cupped her jaw, forcing her chin back. She cooed and traced along her skin and Hisako spat up at her. "Let me go! I have to—Get _off_ of me!"

Her bloody hand felt ice cold and the anger burning at the back of her mind finally snapped. There was a flash of light and frost and suddenly everyone was coated in ice.

Inanna stood over them. Hisako blinked up at her, not so angry any more. "You're here." She didn't feel cold, although her injuries still hurt.

Inanna snorted and nudged the male monster off of her. Once he was away from the girl, the dark-skinned goddess shattered him with a vicious blow. Hisako scrambled to her feet and shoved the female doctor off of her, and Inanna finished her off too by smashing her face.

"I'm not complaining, but I am very surprised at how easy that was for you," Hisako admitted cautiously, dusting all of the frost off of her clothes. It was melting very slowly, and actually didn't feel anything more than slightly cool to the touch. Perhaps it wasn't frost at all. She sighed and knelt back down, taking stock of her new injuries.

Inanna hovered over her. Hisako pretended not to notice and started tearing strips off of her skirt, but stories had never quite prepared her for how badly that actually worked. Few of the strips were long enough to tie around any part of her, and she had no idea what to do for her shoulder.

"So, any chance you know where Yuri-kun is?" Hisako abruptly leaned back on her hands, looking Inanna in the face. She started and frowned, physically backpedaling, and Hisako had the impression that she wasn't going to get many answers out of her. "You really won't talk to me?"

Inanna flickered irritably, as if threatening to leave again. Hisako narrowed her eyes up at her.

"Will you at least help me? There are things in here that will kill me, but you, you're strong."

Inanna preened, smiling with a closed mouth. Evidently warrior goddesses were easy to please.

Hisako fought to hide her own smile and pressed the issue. "You took out those doctor creatures with one blow. I bet you could have even fought that gryphon. I can lead the way, and I'll find my friend, but this would be faster if you'd help me."

And with that, Inanna vanished.

Hisako screamed into her palms to vent her frustration. But that only made her hand sting, and she glared at the red all over her. This would be a problem to explain to anyone, and if she got caught again without Inanna she likely wouldn't survive, but this entire trip was so ridiculous it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep normal things in perspective. Monsters weren't behaving like horror movie villains, and those that were were animals and doctors, of all things. And her only allies were gone.

So there was no way to go but forward. Hisako got up once more, straightened her uniform as best she could, and traipsed onward.

Stealth was her true friend. Many of the creatures were busy attacking others or completely didn't notice her. It wasn't as if she had a set direction to head in, either, so she didn't mind about skipping over inhabited paths to find emptier routes. She was already lost; hopefully Yuri would have some great answers for her, because she was going to need help getting back out.

She found another wall that tried to eat her, and heard another cackle of a hyena. There was an immobile cactus in a corner that she gave a wide berth, since she was fairly certain she saw something glistening on its spines, and she caught a glimpse of something down a long corridor that gave a wail and actually fled from her. It wasn't human-looking, so she didn't bother investigating.

And then, the scenery started to change.

It was difficult to place _how_, but the floor slowly gave way into polished tile, the ceiling closed in, and the lighting became sharper until it looked like she was in a building. A real, human-made building, not some cave of horrors deep underground. Hisako wandered with curiosity and caution in equal amounts. Surely this was a good sign?

She turned into a room and suddenly found out what this was aiming to mimic. The room had one exit, was completely white with harsh lighting, and had a single painting on its far side. It was an art gallery. Hisako approached the painting, resolve strengthening as she realized that this was a sure sign of Yuri's presence. The frame was taller than she was, but the painting inside was a couple sizes too small, as if someone wanted to show it off regardless of the ill-fitting frame.

The painting itself was beautiful. It portrayed a lovely woman, curved around the left and upper edges, using her arms as the rest of the fake frame while her honey-colored hair acted as a backdrop. The entire work was done in greens and browns, giving it an earthy feel. The subject had her eyes closed and her smile was one of the prettiest things Hisako had ever seen. She had never seen any of Yuri's paintings, but she could believe that this was one of his.

"Hisako?"

She whirled around, but there was no one there. Her heart rate was through the roof again, and she could have _sworn_ she had heard someone... And her name, no less. Not even Ereshkigal or Nergal called her that. Keeping an eye over her shoulder, just in case, she turned back around to the painting. Maybe it'd have his signature, or some sort of clue.

As she faced it once more, the woman in the painting, with unhinged jaws, leaned out of it and over Hisako's head.

She threw herself backwards and managed not to get her head bitten off, but the painting had her by the hair, and the woman was still fighting to get further off of the canvas. Hisako pushed against her, but it was like digging her fingers into wet paint.

"Inanna!" she cried as she tried to pull her hair free. Astonishingly, instead of waiting around or leaving the girl to fend for herself, Hisako felt that same temperature drop and then, with a flash behind her, Inanna appeared once more.

And the giant woman just stood there.

"_Help_ me!" Hisako shouted. The painting freed one of her hands and started pulling Hisako's away from her face, starting to gain leverage.

Inanna cocked her head to one side.

"Attack it! Do something, anything!"

Inanna nodded, and then swung her staff around like a bat. She took the top of the painting's head clean off, splattering her against the floor and wall, and the rest of the body splashed onto Hisako and the floor. The actual canvas continued to bleed bits of dead shades of brown in front of her.

Hisako sat there, trying to catch her breath. Her head throbbed from all of the hair-pulling and paint was slowly dripping down her bangs and onto her cheeks. "You... You would have let me get eaten?"

Inanna squatted down beside her, dipping her fingers into the paint. It froze solid at her touch.

"Why didn't you get her off of me?"

This time, Inanna grunted. Hisako blinked up at her, surprised at the sound; she had never made any sort of real vocalization before. Mouth pressed into a thin line, she jabbed her finger at Hisako—straight into her injured shoulder. She hissed in pain, batted her away, and glared as Inanna held up a bloody finger.

She pointed down at Hisako with the same scarlet finger.

"Blood? You were—you were waiting for me to _bleed_ before attacking?"

Inanna stuck the finger in her mouth and sucked off the blood. Hisako felt ill. While it was nice to have some sort of link between when Inanna would appear and her own situation, it wasn't what she had been looking for.

"W-Well," she began shakily, "I'm still bleeding, so you can follow me for the time being. I think we're getting closer to Yuri-kun."

The labyrinth turned into something more akin to a true gallery, with a predictable floor plan and everything. There was a main hallway, with rooms lining it, and paintings within them. Most rooms only contained one work each, but there were two that were simply _covered_ in violent slashes of color. Hisako didn't venture into those rooms.

None of the other paintings tried to eat her, but she wasn't going to tempt fate by getting too close to any of them. Although from afar, most of them were pretty. The lighting got progressively dimmer, returning to the same sort of ground-level lighting near the walls, which once again took away most of her depth perception. But the overall feel of being in an art gallery persisted.

The main path twisted and as Hisako stepped around the corner, Inanna vanished. Warmth flooded back onto the scene and she fanned herself, taken aback. "Inanna?" she whispered. No response, because of course the giant blindfolded woman would take _that_ moment to respond to her. Hisako tried again anyway, "_Inanna_?"

She crept into the nearest room, keeping her distance from the painting—mostly white with a far-off figure standing near a doorway, outlined in blue—and looked down at herself. She was still injured; it wasn't as if those had gone away, as much as she wished. Okay, so she wasn't _bleeding_, but they were going to have issues if that's the only time Inanna appeared.

Hisako grit her teeth and looked at her scraped palms. Before she could prepare herself, she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Whirling around, she found nothing. Empty room and the painting's figure was still a tiny speck. She glanced back out the door, and then cautiously approached it, hand hovering over her shoulder just in case.

It wasn't a painting. It was a _mirror_.

The blonde was first astonished at her appearance; half of her braid had come undone, dirt and blood and paint were smeared all over her, her uniform was hardly recognizable, and her eyes looked half-crazed. She laughed helplessly and after making sure the mirror was solid and not going to eat her, tried to fix herself up as best she could. Hopefully Yuri was having a better time of all this.

_Yuri, where _are _you?_ she thought, distressed.

Over her shoulder, something in the reflection moved.

She caught someone moving out of the doorway and by the time she turned back around, there was no one there. Even running out the door, she couldn't find any sign of man or monster. Just in case, she swiped her finger firmly against her shoulder and called out, "Inanna!"

Paying attention this time, she caught how the blood froze on her fingertip. The temperature dropped to something more comfortable and Inanna appeared in a flash of light, looking grumpy.

Hisako reached out and pressed her palm against Inanna's bare leg, just above her boot. "You're cold," she said wonderingly.

Inanna placed her hand against the wall and ice splintered out from her touch.

"Can you—is that a sort of attack?" One of the gryphons she had seen earlier had been breathing fire, so maybe this sort of stuff was normal. Could be useful. "Could you—"

She caught another flash of movement, and drawn reflexively to it, she stared at the mirror from across the room.

The doorway behind her was not empty in their reflection.

Atticus leaned out, right behind them, craning his neck around to see all of the room. Octavia had ducked under his arm and beckoned Hisako towards her with a warm smile. Inanna was still frowning down at her and didn't seem to notice.

Turning around, Hisako found the actual doorway empty. But the mirror... Cautiously she approached it again. The doorway was ringed in a soft blue glow, reminiscent of the room she normally found the twins in. She reached out and touched the mirror, but it was solid. Glancing back again, her own doorway was empty and not blue.

"_What_ is going on in this place?!" Hisako demanded, kicking the wall to vent some of her frustration. It didn't help, but Inanna cracked a smile above her. "Octavia, Atticus—is that _actually_ you two, or is this another murderous trick of the place?"

The twins leaned back into the doorway to speak, mute to the blonde. After a moment, Octavia pulled out a sheet of paper, and her brother wrote on it. Since it was a reflection, however, it turned out backwards. Hisako leaned closer to the mirror to try to read it, but Octavia smacked him upside the head, waved her arm over the blocky writing, and it magically flipped over.

'WE SAID YOU WOULD COME TO VISIT US ON YOUR OWN', it read. Hisako pressed her hand against the mirror _again_ but it was frustratingly, positively solid.

"I can't get through this. I can't walk through mirrors!" Inanna even tapped the topmost corner, and aside from coating it in a thin sheet of ice, couldn't do anything.

'NEITHER CAN WE', Atticus scrawled out.

"Let me in there!" Talking to other beings would be reassuring, not to mention helpful. Maybe she could get some answers about Inanna, or what had happened to Yuri. Ereshkigal _had_ mentioned some sort of woman involved, so surely that was the one they had wanted to warn her about? "How do I get in to you?"

'USE THE KEY TO OPEN THE DOOR'.

Because _that_ was helpful. Inanna tapped the mirror a little more forcefully. "I don't _have_ a key," Hisako muttered rebelliously, searching her pockets. None but her apartment key.

The pale-haired twins exchanged a glance. Atticus looked rather embarrassed, and Octavia pulled out something on a chain from her coat's breast pocket. She tossed it towards them, and to Hisako's great surprise, she heard a clink behind her.

A blue key on a blue chain was on the ground.

She decided then and there she wasn't going to question any more supernatural occurrences in her life, so long as they helped her.

Hisako scampered over and retrieved it, and excitedly presented it to the mirror. Which stayed nothing but a mirror. In the reflection, Octavia rolled her golden eyes and Atticus hid a grin with his shoulder. It was sort of strange seeing them so expressive, but Hisako couldn't pay much mind to that. It almost seemed as if they were teasing her.

"_Where_ do I put this key now?" she asked as calmly as she could, tapping it against the mirror.

Inanna nudged her shoulder with her knee. Hisako tried to shoo her away, but the dark-skinned woman pressed more insistently. Turning around, she finally saw what the hubbub was about: a blue doorway had taken over the room's actual doorway. The door was shut, and, looking back at the reflection once more, she found that the assistants were gone from view there, too.

Progress was progress. Hisako ran to the door, shoved the key into the lock, and entered into the Velvet Room with a huge sigh of relief.

Inanna did not follow her in. As soon as she stepped into it, there was a _tug_ and a flash of irritation, and then the giant woman was gone.

Atticus, Octavia, and Igor welcomed her into the room. The door swung shut behind her and Hisako sat down, feeling disheveled and out of place with all of the proper surroundings. Even the assistants were far more reserved in there, standing ramrod straight. Atticus had his hands clasped behind him and Octavia held a large azure tome.

"...Can I repeat that?" Hisako asked without preamble.

"Anywhere you find the door, you may enter with that key," Atticus responded. Although his grin was gone, he sounded a little pleased. Or so she hoped.

"Look for the door in reflections of your world," Octavia added helpfully. It was weird, but she could remember that. Find reflections of the door, use the key wherever it appeared. Or something like that. She'd figure it out.

"It seems as if your power bloomed even sooner than we anticipated," Igor announced and the twins fell silent, shifting backwards. He folded his hands under his absurdly long nose and inclined his head towards his guest. "You have been gifted with your Persona, as you no doubt have realized."

"Yes, that word... That's what she is? I mean, I thought of it, but..."

"Yes, the gift of Persona. You have been given this strength in order to face the tribulations that lay ahead. You have already encountered your first: your friend has been kidnapped to that deathly realm."

"Kidnapped? I saw Yuri-kun, he walked down here on... his own..." It had appeared so. Hisako trailed off, recalling those long horns of his. Had that been some sort of mark? "He had horns, is that significant?"

"Look for these signs, however they manifest, and you will find who your adversary has targeted," Igor confirmed. "We cannot directly help you to face her or her power, but we can aid you in other ways. With your first Persona," he waved his hands in the air, and a spinning blue tarot card appeared in front of her, much like the first time they had met, "you have received much more than... just..."

The card froze in midair. Its back was to Hisako; all she could see was a generic stylized mask design. Octavia tightened her gloved grip on her book and Atticus backed up another step.

The card dropped abruptly half a foot and Igor regarded Hisako over it with a scary amount of intensity. "This is not the Wild Card."

That made absolutely no sense to Hisako, but Atticus gasped and Octavia nearly dropped her book. Igor didn't bat an eye and steepled his fingers, taking a deep, tense breath. The card flipped over, showing the other three its face: an arcana card labeled 'The Fool' with a little smiling silhouette going on a journey. There was a flower in their hair and a knapsack over their shoulder.

"...You do not have the Wild Card," Igor said with the air of someone realizing they were terminally ill. Hisako reflexively scooted back in her seat. "...I'm sorry, my dear guest. There must have been some sort of mistake. I—we are here to aid in the creation and recall of multiple Personas, a skill those who possess the Wild Card may utilize. The gift of Persona is a rare gift indeed, and even rarer that humans may wield several. You are a Persona user, that much is certain, but... The rest remains to be seen. I must think on this. Atticus, Octavia, please show our guest out. Drop her off closer to her goal. If she is unsafe out there, I wish to minimize her risk."

"Yes sir," the twins murmured in unison.

"And miss, please do not fret over this stumbling block," Igor added as Hisako stood up. "I will investigate this matter personally, and I will call you back here once I have made sense of it all. But please, refrain from utilizing your Velvet Key until that time."

"Um, alright." With Octavia on one side and Atticus on the other, Hisako was escorted out of the train car, and through a doorway which seemed to be in a far different branch of the art gallery than she had left. Neither assistant seemed pleased with her now, and with grim-faced bows as farewell, they all but pushed her out the door.

So much for getting help.

-.-.-

"Yuri-kun's been kidnapped and Igor said that the horns were because of the woman—whoever she is—doing it all. Ereshkigal knew her, so that's good enough for me. She can take care of it for us, we'll find Yuri-kun, and we'll all go home happily. Right?"

Inanna said nothing.

"Right," Hisako agreed with a forced smile. Progress was progress; she knew how to keep Inanna there with her, Igor was going to look into those other problems, Ereshkigal was going to look into the land of the dead problems, and the art gallery had narrowed down to one absurdly long corridor.

She knew what happened at the end of absurdly long corridors. Boss battles, or epic showdowns, or plot twists. Sure, Nergal wasn't quite the horror movie monster she'd been expecting, but there had to be _something_ at the end of the hallway. And Igor had said that she was closer to her goal.

Positivity was about the last thing she had going for herself, but she was going to cling to it with all her might.

The hallway ended into a large open room. The floor looked closer to something out of a cave, the lights were slightly brighter, and there was a massive glowing door on the far side of the room. Just so long as it didn't try to eat her, she and the door would get along fine.

More importantly, however, was the tall figure with horns standing in front of the door.

"Yuri-kun!" Hisako burst out, stumbling into a run. Inanna floated slowly behind her, her caution lost on the girl. The figure turned halfway around, caught sight of her, and did a double take.

She didn't slow down until Yuri asked, "What are you doing here?" There was some surprise, but no warmth or gratitude. His voice was… off.

She stopped. "What do you mean? I'm here… I mean, I came down here after you." Risking a peek back her shoulder, she saw that Inanna was still keeping her distance. It dawned on her that maybe she shouldn't have been so keen on running towards the boy who had more or less been confirmed as being possessed.

Yuri looked her up and down, rather pointedly. Hisako tugged at her torn skirt and tried not to feel self-conscious about her state of disarray. He, at least, looked fine. "You're a mess."

"It's been difficult finding you," she responded warily.

"I don't want you here. I didn't ask you to come here—and you have no place here," he said with a harsh, cold tone. There was something buzzing underneath his words. It set her teeth on edge.

"What do you mean? You're standing in the middle of a maze full of monsters."

"You probably tracked your filth all over my gallery, too," Yuri muttered without seeming to hear her. Then, he gave a start, and whipped back around to face her fully. "You didn't touch my paintings, did you?"

"Um—" To be fair, it _had_ tried to eat her.

"All I wanted was a nice place to display my art. A respectful place that wouldn't disturb their beauty. It would _enhance_ them, you see?"

Hisako didn't see.

Yuri turned back towards the large door and gestured up towards it. "It's been cordoned off, but that's fine, isn't it? This is a grand place. My art will stand here forever. First, I'll just paint, but soon I'll change this place, too. It will all become beautiful."

"There are _monsters_ out there. I don't think painting will help them. Why don't we just go back out and—"

"What do you think the purpose of art is?" he snapped, cutting her off. Inanna made a low growl in her throat and crouched down beside Hisako. Yuri shook his head in agitation, like a mad dog. She suddenly got the feeling that this was spiraling, and fast. "The purpose of art is to give hope and beauty to the world. To transform it. If all is well, then it will reflect that on the outside, see?"

"I think we should both just calm down. Your paintings are very pretty, I've always thought so. But if you stay down here, you can't show anyone else."

"No one else matters!" Yuri roared and a wind whipped up out of nowhere. The horns were definitely solid now; his hair curled and swayed around them.

Inanna pressed closer to Hisako, summoning her staff, and before them, Yuri curled in on himself. He pulled at his hair but then scraped his fingers along the base of his horns, eyes shut tight against them.

"If I stay down here, I can _make_ this world beautiful and pure. I can paint over the mess and violence and monsters. I can do this, I _can_," he shouted over the wind. "I don't need anyone else!"

"What about your friends, your family?" Hisako called back. "Suzuka liked your paintings!" She didn't know anything about his family, and little of his friends. He was in some sort of art club, but didn't have any names of members to pull him back to reality. "What about Mika?"

Yuri froze and the wind died at once.

"I thought you were going to paint her one day," she said.

With a _crack_, the tip of one of his horns fell off onto the ground behind him. Yuri looked up at her and she couldn't understand his expression. But before she could count it as progress, the wind returned, this time aimed at her. The gale pushed Inanna back and completely bowled Hisako over. The giant woman dug her staff into the ground and used it as a brace, then caught Hisako with her boot and dragged her back forward.

"I can bring my own beauty into this world, it's mine, it's going to be _mine_! I don't need hers, or yours, or anyone's! They don't need mine, so this is only for _me_!" Yuri roared and the wind echoed him. His voice had definitely changed now, becoming higher, more menacing, and he seemed to speak through the air around them rather than out his mouth.

He swung his arms around and too late, Hisako realized that he was actively guiding the wind. It was sharper than before, cutting into her arms and legs, as well as Inanna's. The moment it began to die down, and before Hisako could say anything, her Persona took matters into her own hand.

Perfectly mimicking his arm swing, she threw what looked like a spear of ice at him. Yuri yelped and dove out of the way, and dodged the second one with the help of his storm. "Stop it, don't kill him!"

Inanna shook her off and lobbed another chunk of ice at him.

"I order you _not_ to kill my friend!" Hisako shouted and Inanna halted. Yuri sat a distance away, blinking at the large icy spear that had almost bisected him. "Yuri-kun, you shouldn't hide away down here. Don't you want to share your art with your friends?"

"Why should I?" he muttered rebelliously, and she could have sworn his eyes flashed red.

"Because—I want to see more of your paintings. I want to go to one of your shows, and I want to see that red blotch you did of Suzuka. I want to try painting too and I had hoped you could give me advice. I just want to go back to the outside world, _with_ you, and why can't we look at that beauty instead?" Hisako pleaded.

"It's just fake and shallow," he growled. It was the only warning she received before he threw another gust of razor-sharp wind at them; Inanna ducked down in front of her, protecting her from the worst.

"No it's not!" Hisako snapped back over Inanna's hip.

"Fake and shallow just like all of the girls who want me to paint them," Yuri sneered. He swung his arms back for another gust, but Inanna beat him to the punch. She pulled her staff out of the ground, swiped it at him, and coated half of the area with frost and ice, Yuri included. He stood half-frozen, staring down at his immobilized body with shock.

"That's not what I wanted you to do," Hisako said and smacked Inanna on the thigh. The woman crossed her arms. Hisako approached him, hands up to show she meant no harm, and told him, "They're not fake _or_ shallow. They're just people."

"People can be ugly," Yuri spat venomously as he tried to scrape his arm free with his unbroken horn.

"They can be nice, too. That's why you paint, isn't it? You only paint people so you can show others their beauty," she said soothingly. She stayed out of arm's reach of him, but up close, she felt slightly better about talking him down from this.

He turned his head from her as much as the ice would allow. "You hardly know me. I just wanted a place to myself. I could turn this place into something grand, something with true worth."

"Let me get to know you better through your paintings," Hisako offered. He cracked open an eye to regard her suspiciously, so she smiled up at him. "I want to see you start one—I've never seen an artist's process before. Show me how you do it."

Yuri stared at her for a long moment. "...Why don't you want me to paint _you_?" he finally asked. His voice was almost entirely not his own, but he was really _looking_ at her, and she could see something raw in his eyes.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do with your life. I mean, aside from coming back with me, because I really don't think you should stay down here. It's dangerous and I think—Yuri-kun, I think staying down here would kill you."

"But it's _my_ land. It wouldn't kill me," he replied, perplexed.

"This is not your land," Hisako told him. And then, taking a risk (despite how she felt a jolt of panic from Inanna), she took his unfrozen hand in her own. She expected him to feel cold, or clammy, or maybe outright evil somehow, but he was warm and dry and slightly rough. "This place, it's not for us. It's bizarre and dangerous, and I wouldn't be surprised if a gryphon was eating your paintings right now."

"They wouldn't." She wasn't really surprised that he already knew about the monsters out there. Especially when his voice was soft, feminine, and familiar. But just when she thought she was making great progress with him, Yuri grasped her hand tighter and exclaimed, "I know! Stay down here with me!"

"Wh-What?" She tried to pull back, but he didn't let go. His grip bordered on painful. Not progress.

"I'll paint you! I can see it now—it'll be all glittering ice, draped in blues and it'll contrast with your light hair, bright colors like almost washed-out but—" he began to babble, and worse, his hand continued tightening on hers. Hisako tried to pull away, even bracing against the ice he was encased in, but she just managed to twist her fingers painfully.

"Yuri-kun, that hurts! Please, let go of me!"

He didn't appear to hear her. "It can be a longer canvas, using ice as a frame around it, but reflections—no, no, that wouldn't work, just keep the bright colors up—and you can stay down here with me! It'll be perfect!"

"_Ow_! Let go of me!" Inanna hovered over them, wringing her hands. It was strange seeing her temporarily unsure, but it wasn't helping the situation at all, so Hisako swung herself around to shove her Persona with her shoulder. "Stop him! Ow—_ouch_, stop it! Let go, let go!" Something was going to give soon, and it was looking more and more like it'd be her fingers.

Still he obliviously babbled on, "I'll hang it up here, let this entire room be its reflection. Have to get the lighting up but this blasted door will work fine as a—"

"I _don't_ want you to paint me!" Hisako shouted.

After a beat, his grip went slack. She fell away from him, shaking out her hands, blinking back tears. Yuri stared at her and hurt didn't begin to describe his expression. He opened his mouth to respond, but a gust of wind knocked him on his back and sent Hisako rolling away from him with a yelp. Inanna pounced on her, covering her with her body like a shield.

This confused her until she heard Yuri's scream.

She fought to get her head out from under Inanna, but when she did, she almost wanted to duck back in. His back was arched unnaturally, his hands scratching at the stone, and his horns were breaking themselves as he thrashed. He was bleeding from the mouth and nose, but little droplets were flowing upward, hanging in the air above him.

It didn't strike her as familiar until there was a flash of light, and then _something_ pulled itself from his chest. Inanna shoved her face into the ground and Yuri's scream abruptly died.

Hisako's ears rang from the silence. But then, she realized it wasn't quite silent: a small breeze whistled around the room, and it sounded like someone was crying. "Let me up," she said and Inanna obeyed.

Yuri lay on his back, trembling violently. His tears mixed with the blood. A massive figure knelt over him, at least as tall as Inanna, but even bulkier. Male, with a mask connected to a headdress shielding his face, and a tattered white cape covering much of the rest of him.

As Hisako carefully crept closer, Yuri breathed, "Enlil," in that not-his voice.

The man reached down and grasped him by the shoulders, and then viciously pulled. Hisako started forward, but he hadn't lifted her classmate at all; another figure was pulled up and out of the same space Yuri occupied. It was a woman, a woman with a wild mass of dark hair and a threadbare traveling cloak.

"Why are you here," she said in the same voice Yuri had been using.

Enlil remained quiet. But the woman backed up as if she had received an unfavorable answer, and caught sight of Hisako and Inanna. Although like Ereshkigal before, she only had eyes for the blonde. Panic flitted across her expression and she whirled around on the spot, disappearing with a low whistle.

Yuri groaned, sounding like himself. He gingerly sat up, his horns crumbling to dust as they fell off, and Hisako took that as a good enough sign to run to him. "Yuri-kun! You're—are you alright?"

"I'm going to be sick," he eloquently answered, and then he rolled over and did just that. Enlil stood up, and the movement revealed some sort of weapon he was hiding under his cape. Hisako carefully stayed on Yuri's other side.

After a moment of fretting, she began rubbing circles on his back. She tried to ignore how red his vomit was. "Are you alright? How do you feel? Do you feel, um, normal again?"

"I feel like I swan-dove off of a skyscraper," he moaned and curled in on himself. "What happened…?"

"...It's a long story," Hisako replied diplomatically. "I'll tell you after we get out of here. I think you should be in the hospital."

"Wait, Hisako?" He turned and squinted up at her. She tried to smile reassuringly for him. "What are you doing here?"

"I, um, came to save you?" It sounded so anticlimactic now. Although to be fair, the Enlil newcomer had done a fair share of the work. "Come on, stand up. Can you stand for me?"

She had to help him a great deal, and at one part even Enlil propped him up with a large hand, but Yuri could stand. Sort of. At any rate, he was upright, and Hisako was back to counting any little thing as progress. He wasn't possessed, his horns were gone, and he was still breathing.

He talked in little bursts as she helped him out. If only they could take another shortcut through the Velvet Room, but the gallery was mercifully empty of monsters. He didn't seem to remember much, although he did recall a strange woman (Hisako had a pretty strong guess as to who) promising him a place of his own. As they wandered through said place, he shuddered.

"And I remember you called my painting of Suzuka a 'red blotch'."

"Of course you remember that part," she said with a sigh.

Yuri chuckled weakly. Hisako risked a glance back at Enlil and Inanna, who trailed behind them silently. He was indeed larger than her, in height and muscle, and now that they were walking—well, floating after them—she could see that most of his body was clothed in white. And he had some sort of thing hooked onto his belt. Probably a weapon.

She was sharp enough to gather that this was the same type of deal as her and Inanna. A Persona. They were both roughed up enough to guarantee that they stuck around for awhile, and Hisako was sure she had never been so glad to be injured. Although, she wasn't sure she had ever been so injured. She hadn't had a particularly rough childhood.

"So, am I allowed to ask why there are giants following us yet?" Yuri broke into her thoughts, as if reading them.

"Do you want the long version or the short version?"

"How long until the exit?"

"Long version it is," Hisako said with another heavy sigh. She recounted her fight with Nergal, describing the feeling of having Inanna claw her way out of her, and he nodded along in agreement. She described the labyrinth and all of the different types of monsters—whom they still hadn't run into thankfully—and what she had learned about the power. She even described the Velvet Room, but he seemed totally lost on that subject.

By the time she finished, her voice was hoarse and they were back into the maze proper. Yuri was leaning more heavily on her than ever, which worried her. The gallery had been a straightforward path. The exit could be anywhere from there. "Stop," he gasped out, and they took another break.

"Can't you do anything?" Hisako all but whined, craning her neck to look up at her protector. Inanna had been helpful in providing ice to place against injuries, but that was about it.

"Do they talk?" Yuri asked. He seemed a little shy around Enlil and preferred to ask Hisako most of the questions. Granted, she was practically an expert by his standards, but she really didn't feel like she knew what she was doing.

"Inanna seems to understand me, but she doesn't really _talk_. Sometimes I sort of get random feelings of irritation from her, though," she replied with a shrug. And on cue, she felt a little prick of annoyance in the back of her mind.

"Can you do anything to help?" he asked.

Enlil pulled his weapon from his waist, and contrary to Hisako's thoughts, it was not in a sheath. It was actually just a large paintbrush with fanned-out bristles at the end. She covered her mouth to hide her smile and she thought she saw Yuri blush a little.

"Yes, well, yours is topless so I don't see how—" he cut off with a splutter as Enlil unceremoniously painted a slash of mint green over half of Yuri's body. He flailed and shook his head, rubbing at his eyes and spitting it out of his mouth. "What was that for?!"

"Did it help?"

"It was disgusting!" Yuri shook his head and then froze. He looked down at his hands, and then shook them out again. "...I feel better," he said with awe.

"It actually helped?" Hisako echoed, no less surprised than he. Inanna leaned over her shoulder with curiosity. Yuri looked over his body, wiggling random parts without wincing.

"Yeah, I think so. Can you do that to her, too?" he asked, pointing at her.

Before Hisako could protest—and she had a small suspicion that Yuri only did it to share in the paint mess, although she had already gotten hers in that gallery of his—she received a face full of paint. It tasted foul, but it was surprisingly light, drying in seconds. And she _did_ feel better. Her shoulder stopped aching and the scrapes on her palms actually disappeared.

"They do different things, right? It looks like mine is magic," Yuri remarked, but he sounded pleased. He stood up, on his own, and only then winced. "Alright, I'm a little dizzy. I think—let's not do that again."

"Okay." It was easier going now that they could walk without limping, but they were still lost. Neither Persona could help them with that, but eventually Yuri decided to have Enlil mark paths they had already been down. It cut down on backtracking and circles.

There was no real sense of time; it all dragged on with conversation and walking. The labyrinth was entirely devoid of other beings, however, which Hisako was thankful for, although it did mean she felt somewhat crazy when describing to Yuri what she had been facing up until she found him.

And then, she caught a glimpse of the outer wall. Hisako broke into a run with a wordless shout, and without asking, Yuri started after her. It took another bit of circling around to get to the actual exit, but considering the fact that she was beginning to believe that they'd be trapped down there forever, she was glad they made it out at all.

She ran straight out. Yuri ran out far enough to catch a look at Nergal, yelped, and then ran back in. "Wait, Yuri-kun! He's on our side!"

"Is this the one you were looking for?" Nergal asked, clearly curious but restraining himself in order not to frighten him further. Such a polite guardian.

"Yes, this is Yuri Kikuchi. And Yuri-kun, this is Nergal. He guards this place and he sort of helped me, after he figured out what I was doing."

"He's not human," Nergal sniffed.

"He is too human," Hisako replied dangerously. With the end within sight, she was not about to get into this argument again. And maybe having both Inanna and Enlil there gave her some courage on the matter.

"Whatever you believe," the lion-headed man replied tactfully. "Are you departing from Irkalla now?"

"_Yes_, thankfully," she said as she dragged Yuri back out of the maze. "Come along, he won't hurt us."

"Weren't you just telling me earlier—"

"Shh. It was a misunderstanding."

"I bid you two farewell," Nergal called after them. Yuri seemed glad to be leaving his presence, although the winding staircase gave him some pause.

Nergal stated that he hadn't seen Yuri enter, and Yuri hadn't recognized him at all. But Hisako didn't see how _else_ he could have gotten in, really. Surely the whole possession issue had something to do with it, but there was still only one entrance to Irkalla.

_Oh well_, Hisako thought wearily. _That can be figured out later. After sleep._ With her injuries in a better state than before, rest was the only thing on her mind. Rest and a doctor's visit, but mostly just rest. The grave they entered in was still open, and they broke into sunlight. She was surprised; surely more time than that had passed? Unless—_no way we were in there all night!_

"What time is it…?" Yuri asked, shielding his eyes from the afternoon light.

Their phones beeped as service returned, and Hisako was perplexed to find it about the same time as she had followed him in. Exactly a day had passed? No, the date was the same.

"...Wait." _No_ time had passed? "I don't—how does that work?" Hisako exclaimed, shaking her phone. It remained the correct date and time.

"I don't remember much of… today," Yuri admitted. He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, suddenly looking rather pale. "But isn't it a good thing we don't have to explain where we were?"

"...I suppose." She was going to stop questioning the supernatural goings-on around her. For real this time. Hisako helped him out of the grave, noting how he wobbled a bit. Dried paint flaked off of him, disappearing as he clambered out of the hole. "Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

"I… don't know. Where is Enlil?" The pair paused, looking about for their Personas. No sign of either of them. She looked back down into the stairwell, but that was nothing but darkness. "Are they gone?"

"They must be…"

"I feel like before." They barely made it back to the main path before he had to sit down. He was sweating and very pale, and Hisako was beginning to feel a little warm as well. "This is real, right?"

"Yes, this is real."

"It all happened?"

"Yes. I think so."

"I'm going to be sick again." He staggered to the nearest bush and threw up. Hisako cringed at doing that in a cemetery, but what other choice did he have? She ignored the sound, feeling her own stomach churn, and helped him along the path afterward. He was leaning heavily on her again.

During their next break, where Hisako was definitely sweating and feeling sick and Yuri dry-heaved once more, she sensed that this wasn't going to go away. She had to get him help, but the graveyard was empty, as it was before. They made it to the street again, and she barely made it to the trashcan on the corner before it was her turn to be sick. Yuri had collapsed against the metal fence behind him, eyes shut as his head lolled.

Hisako remembered she had a working cell phone again, but dropped it with her sweaty hands. "D-Damn it." Was she shaking? This was worse than she thought, and the chances of getting out of this mess relatively safely was dwindling. Without their Personas, they couldn't fix themselves, and she could barely press buttons on her phone.

Her call went through just as Hisako collapsed. The operator on the other line asked what her emergency was, but she could only breathlessly whisper at that point. Her throat felt like it was closing up and her vision was swimming.

After everything, she might just die on an empty sidewalk in the middle of the city. No Inanna to save her this time.

Dimly, she heard shouting, and then became aware of someone helping her to sit up. Progress.

Hisako passed out.

-.-.-

Knowledge: level 1/5 (+2)  
-Harebrained

Confidence: level 2/5 (+5)  
-Secure

Charm: level 1/5 (+0)  
-Awkward

Empathy: level 1/5 (+5)  
-Tolerant


End file.
